Prehistoric Earth: A Natural History Wiki
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Megalania (name meaning "Ancient Great Roamer") is a genus of Varanidae that originated during the Early Pleistocene epoch in what is now Australia. Among the apex predators of its time and region and essentially a giant Komodo Dragon, it is also the largest terrestrial lizard to have existed, measuring around seven meters long and weighing over a ton.

In the episode, Dragon of the Outback, a pregant female Megalania was brought to the park from Late Pleistocene, Australia 65,000 years ago. She resides in an enclosure near her modern day Komodo Dragon relatives where she laid her eggs and hatch into young that put into separate enclosures.

Facts[]

Era & Discovery[]

Megalania lived in Australia during the Early to Late Pleistocene 1.5 million to 40,000 years ago. It lived with other animals such as Diprotodon, Genyornis, and even Thylacoleo.

Physical Attributes[]

Megalania stood 7.02 metres tall and weighed 2 tons, making them the largest lizard ever to have lived.

Megalania skeleton

Megalania skeleton

Megalania's appearance bares a resemblance to a modern day Komodo Dragon, however they were twice as big them. Like their modern day relatives, it had a forked tongue that was used to taste the air to find prey. Megalania also had a mouth filled with saliva containing deadly bacteria that can kill animals with one bite.

Behavior & Traits[]

Like the Komodo Dragon, Megalania were solitary hunters and hunted animals during the day. The only time they would get together would be during the mating season.

Journal Entry[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Megalania is the largest lizard brought to the park.
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