Varanus priscus (Megalania)

Overview

Megalania, meaning "great roamer," was the largest land lizard to ever exist—a giant monitor lizard that terrorized Australia during the Pleistocene Epoch. Living from about 1.6 million to 40,000 years ago, this massive predator was essentially a Komodo dragon on steroids, and it actually overlapped with the first humans to reach Australia!

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Family: Varanidae (monitor lizards)
• Genus: Varanus (same as Komodo dragon!)
• Diet: Carnivorous
• Type: Giant monitor lizard

Megalania was closely related to living Komodo dragons—just much, much bigger!

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Physical Characteristics

Estimated Size

• Length: 3.5-7 meters (11-23 feet)—estimates vary!
• Weight: Up to 575 kg (1,270 lbs) or possibly more
• Most likely size: About 4-5 meters and 300-400 kg

Note: Size estimates have been debated, but even conservative estimates make it enormous!

Body Features

• Massive skull with powerful jaws
• Large, curved teeth with serrated edges
• Strong, muscular legs and sharp claws
• Long, powerful tail for balance and as a weapon
• Body shape similar to modern Komodo dragons

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Megalania vs. Komodo Dragon

Feature	Megalania	Komodo Dragon
Length	3.5-7m	2-3m
Weight	300-575kg	70-90kg
Era	Extinct (40,000 years ago)	Living today
Location	Australia	Indonesia
Prey	Megafauna	Deer, pigs

Megalania was roughly twice the length and 5-6 times heavier!

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Hunting & Diet

Apex Predator of Australia

Megalania was the top predator on its continent:

• Hunted giant kangaroos (some bigger than today's!)
• Ate giant wombats the size of cars
• Preyed on large flightless birds like Genyornis
• Probably also scavenged when possible

Hunting Methods

Like modern Komodo dragons:

• May have had venomous saliva or toxic bacteria in mouth
• Used ambush tactics to surprise prey
• Could deliver devastating bites
• Waited for wounded prey to weaken from blood loss or infection
• Powerful enough to overpower large animals directly

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Venom: Did Megalania Have It?

Toxic Bite?

Scientists now believe:

• Komodo dragons have mild venom
• Megalania likely had similar venom glands
• Combined with bacteria in the mouth
• Made bites extremely dangerous
• Even if prey escaped, it would die later from the bite

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Australia's Megafauna

Ice Age Giants

Megalania lived alongside incredible animals:

• Diprotodon (giant wombat the size of a hippo!)
• Procoptodon (giant short-faced kangaroo)
• Thylacoleo (marsupial lion)
• Genyornis (giant flightless bird)
• All went extinct around the same time

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Extinction

Why Did It Disappear?

Megalania went extinct about 40,000 years ago. Possible causes:

Human Arrival:

• Humans reached Australia about 65,000-50,000 years ago
• Hunting pressure on Megalania's prey
• Direct conflict with humans
• Use of fire changed the landscape

Climate Change:

• Ice Age conditions changed Australia
• Forests became drier grasslands
• Less habitat for large predators
• Prey species declined

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Meeting Humans?

A Real Monster

Early Australians definitely encountered Megalania:

• Aboriginal oral traditions may preserve memories
• Stories of giant lizards in Dreamtime legends
• Humans may have been occasional prey!
• Imagine meeting a 7-meter lizard in the bush!

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Discovery & Fossils

Found in Australia

• First described by Richard Owen in 1859
• Fossils found across southern Australia
• Bones, teeth, and vertebrae discovered
• No complete skeleton found yet
• Size estimates based on scaling up from bones

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Cool Facts

• Megalania may have been the only venomous giant land predator ever
• If alive today, it would be the largest land lizard by far
• Aboriginal people lived with this monster for thousands of years!
• Some researchers think it could run in short bursts
• Its scientific name means "ancient great roamer"
• The Komodo dragon is its closest living relative
• Scientists originally thought it was 30 feet long—now we know it was somewhat smaller
• It went extinct around the time of the last Ice Age

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Megalania was Australia's very own dragon—a giant predatory lizard that stalked the land while the first humans were learning to survive in this harsh continent!