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Prehistoric Life

How long was Megalania prisca?

The largest recorded Megalania prisca had a body length of about 7 m (23 ft).

What is measured: maximum estimated body length

Megalania prisca (7 m) drawn to scale beside a 20-foot shipping container (6.06 m) and a city bus (12 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Shipping container (20 ft) (6.06 m), Megalania prisca (7 m) and City bus (12 m).

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How big is that, really?

  • A little longer than a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 58% of the length of a city bus
  • About 3 would fit end to end along a tennis court
  • About 7 would fit end to end along an Olympic swimming pool
  • About 3.5× the height of a doorway

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Facts about Megalania prisca

Megalania was the largest known terrestrial lizard and lived in Pleistocene Australia.

Source: Australian Museum, Megalania; Queensland Museum, Megalania

Prehistoric Life

NameSizeCompared with Megalania prisca
Ceratosaurus nasicornis6 m (20 ft)0.86×
Tanystropheus hydroides6 m (20 ft)0.86×
Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis6 m (20 ft)0.86×
Euoplocephalus tutus6 m (20 ft)0.86×
Pteranodon7 m (23 ft)same size
Argentavis magnificens7 m (23 ft)same size
Megalania prisca7 m (23 ft)this page
Helicoprion bessonowi7.6 m (25 ft)1.1×
Ankylosaurus magniventris8 m (26 ft)1.1×
Prototaxites8 m (26 ft)1.1×

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