List of largest extinct lizards

File:Gecko de Delcourt Hoplodactylus delcourti Hoplodactylus delcourti GLAM MHNL 2016.jpg is the largest among of all known geckos]]

• An extinct member of family Diplodactylidae, Kawekaweau or Delcourt's giant gecko (Gigarcanum delcourti), the largest gecko of all time. It had a snout-vent length of 37 cm (14.6 in), a total length of 60 cm (23.6 in).{{cite book|last= Wilson|first= K.-J.|title= Flight of the Huia: Ecology and Conservation of New Zealand's Frogs, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BXbwAAAAMAAJ |year= 2004|publisher= Canterbury University Press|isbn= 0-908812-52-3|oclc= 937349394}} and a mass of {{cvt|896.98|g}}.{{Cite web|url=https://eol.org/pages/963547|title = Delcourt's giant Gecko - Encyclopedia of Life|website=Eol.org}}
• Some members of genus Phelsuma are among the largest of extant geckos (see list of largest extant lizards). However, the extinct Rodrigues giant day gecko (Phelsuma gigas) was the largest day gecko and second-largest of all geckos (after the kawekaweau), with a length of up to 40 cm (15.74 in) and possibly even 44 cm (17.3 in),{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} and body mass 193.43 g (6.8 oz).{{Cite web|url=https://eol.org/pages/1056085|title = Rodrigues giant day gecko – Encyclopedia of Life|website=Eol.org}}

File:Lapitiguana impensa.JPG is the largest iguana fossils]]

• The extant members of genus Brachylophus are iguanas small and medium-sized, growing a length of {{cvt|60–75|cm}}. Although, in the past there was a much larger member of this family – Brachylophus gibbonsi, reached in length of {{convert|1.2|m|ft|abbr=on}},{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} and thus, was 1.8 times longer than its modern relatives. Another very large extinct iguanid, reached even larger – Lapitiguana impensa which had a length of 1.5 m (4.91 ft).{{Cite journal

| last = Pregill | first = G. K. |author2=Worthy, T. H.

| title = A New Iguanid Lizard (Squamata, Iguanidae) from the Late Quaternary of Fiji, Southwest Pacific

| journal = Herpetologica | volume = 59 | issue = 1 | pages = 57–67

| publisher = The Herpetologists' League | date = March 2003 | url = https://www.academia.edu/601893| doi = 10.1655/0018-0831(2003)059[0057:ANILSI]2.0.CO;2 | s2cid = 85804786 }}

• The largest ever lived lacertid, the goliath Tenefire lizard (Gallotia goliath) reached the length of {{convert|1.2|-|1.25|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite book|author=Martin, A.|date=2006|url=http://www.iehcan.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/01/3_Mart%C3%ADn_2006.pdf|title=3. Aportaciones de D. Telesforo Bravo al conocimiento de la fauna de vertebrados terrestres de las islas Canarias|work=From the book: En Afonso-Carrillo, J. (Ed.), Actas de la Semana homenaje a Telesforo Bravo|pages=71–92|publisher=Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos de Canarias|isbn=84-611-0482-X}}

File:Mosasaurus hoffmanni life.jpg were not only the largest lizards, but also the largest representatives of the Squamata order, as well as one of the biggest marine reptiles]]

• The largest mosasaurs were Mosasaurus and Tylosaurus species, which grew to around {{cvt|17|m}} and were projected to weigh up to {{cvt|20|t|lb}}.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/science/seamonsters/factfiles/giantmosasaur.shtml Science & Nature – Sea Monsters – Fact File: Giant Mosasaur]. BBC (2005-08-26)

• The Cape Verde giant skink (Chioninia coctei) was a very large skink{{cite web|url=http://www.caboverde.com/nature/andreone.htm|title=Macroscincus coctei in the "Ilhéu Razo" (Cape Verde) del Dr. Franco Andreone|website=Caboverde.com}} that grew up to a snout-vent length of {{cvt|32|cm}}{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1080/00222937600770551| title = On the evolution of the giant Cape Verde scincid lizard Macroscincus coctei | journal = Journal of Natural History| volume = 10| issue = 6| pages = 691–712| year = 1976| author=Greer AE| bibcode = 1976JNatH..10..691G|author-link=:fr:Allen Eddy Greer}} and {{cvt|56.5|cm}} in a total length.{{Cite journal|author=Luís M.P. Ceríaco|year=2012|title=From Cape Verde to the Netherlands via Portugal and France: the journey of an early specimen of the giant skink Chioninia coctei (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)|pages=74–81|journal=Zoologia Caboverdiana|url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Chioninia-coctei-Dumeril-Bibron-1839-RMNH-RENA-17057-Naturalis-Biodiversity_fig1_235696172|issn= 2074-5737}}
• Another very large extinct skink is the Mauritian giant skink (Leiolopisma mauritiana) which is the largest skink so far discovered; it grew to a snout-vent length of {{cvt|34|cm}}{{cite book|author=James Evans|year=2021|publisher=Princeton University Press|title=Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family|isbn= 978-1-78240-957-1}} with a total length of {{cvt|68|cm}}, and according to some information up to {{cvt|80|cm}}{{cite web|url=https://nixillustration.com/science-illustration/2019/island-weirdness-26-mauritian-giant-skink/|title=Island Weirdness #26 – The Mauritian Giant Skink|website=Nixillustration.com|access-date=19 May 2022}}

File:Varanus priscus Melbourne Museum.jpg ever discovered was extinct megalania from Australia]]

• The prehistoric Australian megalania (Varanus priscus), which may have existed up to 40,000 years ago, is the largest varanid and the largest terrestrial lizard known to exist, but the lack of a complete skeleton has resulted in a wide range of size estimates. Molnar's 2004 assessment resulted in an average weight of {{cvt|320|kg}} and length of {{cvt|4.5|m}}, and a maximum of {{cvt|1,940|kg}} at {{cvt|7|m}} in length, which is toward the high end of the early estimates.{{cite encyclopedia |last = Molnar|first = R. E.|encyclopedia = Varanoid Lizards of the World |article = The Long and Honorable History of Monitors and Their Kin |publisher = Indiana University Press|year = 2004|page = 588 |url = http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=21751 |isbn=978-0-253-34366-6}} However, a 2009 study estimated megalania at 5.5 m (18 ft) and 575 kg (1,268 lb).{{Cite journal |last1=Fry |first1=Bryan G. |last2=Wroe |first2=Stephen |last3=Teeuwisse |first3=Wouter |last4=van Osch |first4=Matthias J. P. |last5=Moreno |first5=Karen |last6=Ingle |first6=Janette |last7=McHenry |first7=Colin |last8=Ferrara |first8=Toni |last9=Clausen |first9=Phillip |last10=Scheib |first10=Holger |last11=Winter |first11=Kelly L. |last12=Greisman |first12=Laura |last13=Roelants |first13=Kim |last14=van der Weerd |first14=Louise |last15=Clemente |first15=Christofer J. |date=2009-06-02 |title=A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus ( Megalania ) priscus |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=106 |issue=22 |pages=8969–8974 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0810883106 |doi-access=free |pmid=19451641 |issn=0027-8424|pmc=2690028 |bibcode=2009PNAS..106.8969F }}
• Some prehistoric non-varanoid anguimorphs approached varanid sizes. Palaeosaniwa was roughly comparable to a large monitor lizard (Varanidae) in size. Measuring around {{convert|3|-|3.5|m|abbr=on}} in length,{{cite book|last1=Archibald|first1=J. David|title=Extinction and Radiation: How the Fall of Dinosaurs Led to the Rise of Mammals|date=2011|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=9780801898051|page=43|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FgOWThr_DS4C&q=Palaeosaniwa}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20101028130444/http://dinosaur.org/palaeosaniwa.htm "Palaeosaniwa" from James Gurney: The World of Dinosaurs] it is among the largest terrestrial lizards known from the Mesozoic era. Later study shows estimation with snout–vent length about {{convert|85|cm|in||abbr=}} for Maastrichtian species.{{Cite journal |last1=Longrich |first1=Nicholas R. |last2=Bhullar |first2=Bhart-Anjan S. |last3=Gauthier |first3=Jacques A. |date=2012-12-26 |title=Mass extinction of lizards and snakes at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=109 |issue=52 |pages=21396–21401 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1211526110 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=3535637 |pmid=23236177|doi-access=free |bibcode=2012PNAS..10921396L }} Asprosaurus may compete with Palaeosaniwa in size.The first lizard fossil (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Mesozoic of South Korea. Cretaceous Research 55:292–302. - J.-Y. Park, S. E. Evans & M. Huh - 2015. Another large Mesozoic lizard was Chianghsia, with snout-vent length of over {{cvt|1|m}}.{{Cite journal | last1 = Mo | first1 = J. Y. | last2 = Xu | first2 = X. | last3 = Evans | first3 = S. E. | doi = 10.1080/14772019.2011.588254 | url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228117628 | title = A large predatory lizard (Platynota, Squamata) from the Late Cretaceous of South China | journal = Journal of Systematic Palaeontology | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | pages = 333 | year = 2012 | bibcode = 2012JSPal..10..333M | s2cid = 85682211 }}

• Largest prehistoric animals

{{Reflist}}

Lizards

*Largest

Lizards