page_title: Australian megafauna
section_title: Reptiles
hierarchical_section_title: Australian megafauna / Extinct Australian megafauna / Reptiles
caption_attribution_description: English: Varanus priscus skeleton, Melbourne Museum Español: Esqueleto de Varanus priscus, Museo de Melbourne.
context_page_description: The term Australian megafauna refers to a number of large animal species in Australia, often defined as species with body mass estimates of greater than 45 kg or equal to or greater than 130% of the body mass of their closest living relatives, that lived 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.
  There are similarities between prehistoric Australian megafauna and some mythical creatures from the Aboriginal Dreamtime.
context_section_description: Varanus priscus (formerly Megalania prisca) (the megalania) was a giant carnivorous goanna that might have grown to as long as 7 m (23 ft), and weighed up to 1,940 kg (4,280 lb) (Molnar, 2004). Giant goannas and humans overlapped in time in Pleistocene Australia, but there is no evidence that they directly encountered each other.
  Wonambi naracoortensis was a non-venomous snake of 5–6 m (16–20 ft) in length. It was an ambush predator living at waterholes located in natural sun traps and killed its prey by constriction.
  Quinkana was a terrestrial crocodile that grew from 5 m (16 ft) to possibly 7 m (23 ft) in length. It had long legs positioned underneath its body, and chased down mammals, birds and other reptiles for food. Its teeth were blade-like for cutting rather than pointed for gripping, as with water-dwelling crocodiles. It belonged to the mekosuchine subfamily (all now extinct). It was discovered at the Bluff Downs in Queensland.
  Liasis dubudingala, lived during the Pliocene epoch, grew up to 10 m (33 ft) long, and is the largest Australian snake known. It hunted mammals, birds and reptiles in riparian woodlands. It is most similar to the extant olive python (Liasis olivacea).
  Meiolania was a genus of huge terrestrial cryptodire turtles measuring 2.5 m (8 ft) in length, with horned heads and spiked tails.
caption: A reconstructed skeleton of the extinct megalania (Varanus priscus)
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