List of largest extinct lizards which are members of the order Squamata.
| Rank | Scientific name | Family | Largest specimen | Length | Mass | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tylosaurus proriger | Mosasauridae | "FHSM VP-2496" | 14 m (46 ft) [1] | - |  |
| 2 | Tylosaurus bernardi | Mosasauridae | 14 m (46 ft) | - | | |
| Tylosaurus proriger | Mosasauridae | FHSM VP-2496 | 14 meters (46 ft) [2] | |||
| 3 | Mosasaurus hoffmani | Mosasauridae | " | 12.9 m (42 ft) [3] | - |  |
| 4 | Tylosaurus pembiensis | Mosasauridae | "Bruce" | 12.2 m (40 ft)[ citation needed ] [4] | [ citation needed ] |  |
The Varanidae are a family of lizards in the superfamily Varanoidea and order Anguimorpha. The family, a group of carnivorous and frugivorous lizards, includes the living genus Varanus and a number of extinct genera more closely related to Varanus than to the earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus). Varanus includes the Komodo dragon, crocodile monitor, savannah monitor, the goannas of Australia and Southeast Asia, and various other species with a similarly distinctive appearance. Their closest living relatives are the earless monitor lizard and Chinese crocodile lizard. The oldest members of the family are known from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia.
Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus Varanus, the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recognized.
Megalania is an extinct species of giant monitor lizard, part of the megafaunal assemblage that inhabited Australia during the Pleistocene. It is the largest terrestrial lizard known to have existed, but the fragmentary nature of known remains make estimates highly uncertain. Recent studies suggest that most known specimens would have reached around 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) in body length excluding the tail, while some individuals would have been significantly larger, reaching sizes around 4.5–7 m (15–23 ft) in length.
The term Australian megafauna refers to the megafauna in Australia during the Pleistocene Epoch. Most of these species became extinct during the latter half of the Pleistocene, and the roles of human and climatic factors in their extinction are contested.
Island gigantism, or insular gigantism, is a biological phenomenon in which the size of an animal species isolated on an island increases dramatically in comparison to its mainland relatives. Island gigantism is one aspect of the more general "island effect" or "Foster's rule", which posits that when mainland animals colonize islands, small species tend to evolve larger bodies, and large species tend to evolve smaller bodies. This is itself one aspect of the more general phenomenon of island syndrome which describes the differences in morphology, ecology, physiology and behaviour of insular species compared to their continental counterparts. Following the arrival of humans and associated introduced predators, many giant as well as other island endemics have become extinct. A similar size increase, as well as increased woodiness, has been observed in some insular plants such as the Mapou tree in Mauritius which is also known as the "Mauritian baobab" although it is member of the grape family (Vitaceae).
The crocodile monitor, also known as the Papuan monitor or Salvadori's monitor, is a species of monitor lizard endemic to New Guinea. It is the largest monitor lizard in New Guinea and is one of the longest lizards, verified at up to 255 cm (100 in). Its tail is exceptionally long, with some specimens having been claimed to exceed the length of the Komodo dragon, however less massive.
The spiny-tailed monitor, also known as the Australian spiny-tailed monitor, the ridge-tailed monitor the Ackie dwarf monitor, and colloquially simply ackie monitor, is an Australian species of lizard belonging to the genus of monitor lizards (Varanus).
Palaeosaniwa canadensis is an extinct species of carnivorous lizard from the late Cretaceous of North America. The name, given by Charles Whitney Gilmore in 1928, means "ancient Saniwa from Canada".
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae. Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae, and the extinct Palaeovaranidae.
The yellow-headed water monitor, also commonly known as Cuming's water monitor, the Mindanao water monitor, and the Philippine water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines. It thrives in mangrove, forest and water margins in tropical refuges, where it feeds on birds, fishes, mammals, and carrion.
The Palawan water monitor is a quite large species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.
Saniwa is an extinct genus of varanid lizard that lived during the Eocene epoch. It is known from well-preserved fossils found in the Bridger and Green River Formations of Wyoming, United States. The type species S. ensidens was described in 1870 as the first fossil lizard known from North America. A second species, S.orsmaelensis, is recognised from remains found in Europe. It is a close relative of Varanus, the genus that includes monitor lizards.
Varanus marathonensis, the Samos dragon, is an extinct species of monitor lizard from the middle to late Miocene of Greece and Spain, known from several specimens. A specimen consisting of a partial skull and several vertebrae was named Varanus amnhophilis in 2012 and placed in its own subgenus, Varaneades, but a 2018 study found it to be a junior synonym of Varanus marathonensis. Comparisons with other species of monitor lizards put its size between 60 and 80 cm in length. The fossil was found in the Turolian-age Mytilini Formation on the island of Samos and is currently housed in the American Museum of Natural History.
The Cape Verde giant skink, also called Bibron's skink, Cocteau's skink, and lagarto in Cape Verdean Portuguese, is a recently extinct species of large lizard (skink) that was endemic to some of the Barlavento Islands of Cape Verde before disappearing in the 20th century.
Asprosaurus is an extinct genus of anguimorph lizard from the Late Cretaceous of South Korea. Named in 2015 from the Seonso Conglomerate Formation, the type species Asprosaurus bibongriensis is the first Mesozoic lizard to have been discovered on the Korean peninsula. Because Asprosaurus is known only from fragmentary material, its relationships with other lizards are uncertain. However, features of the lower jaw suggest that it may be a member of a clade called Monstersauria, which includes the living Gila monster.
Storr's monitor is a species of monitor lizard in the family Varanidae. The species is endemic to Australia.
Phelsuma borai is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Varanus, commonly known as true monitors, is one of the 11 subgenera of the genus Varanus. All of its species are found in the Australasian realm, among which are the world's largest lizards.
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