List of largest extinct lizards explained

List of largest extinct lizards which are members of the order Squamata.

List

Rank	Scientific name	Family	Largest specimen	Length	Mass	Image
1	Mosasaurus hoffmannii	Mosasauridae	CCMGE 10/2469 or Penza specimen	12.9m (42.3feet)^[1]
2	Tylosaurus pembiensis	Mosasauridae	"Bruce"	12.8m (42feet)
3	Tylosaurus bernardi	Mosasauridae	"IRScNM"	12.2m (40feet)^[2]
4	Tylosaurus proriger	Mosasauridae	"Bunker"	12m (39feet)

Geckos (Gekkota)

• An extinct member of family Diplodactylidae, Kawekaweau or Delcourt's giant gecko (Hoplodactylus 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).^[3] and a mass of ^[4] The modern representative of same genus is Duvaucel's gecko (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) also has a large sizes (see list of largest extant lizards).
• Some members of genus Phelsuma are one of the largest extant geckos (see list of largest extant lizards). Although, in the past, day geckos were even more larger. For example, the Rodrigues day gecko (Phelsuma edwardnewtoni) had total length up to 23 cm (9.1 in). The 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), and body mass 193.43 g (6.8 oz).^[5]

Iguanas (Iguanidae)

• The extant members of genus Brachylophus are iguanas small and medium-sized, growing a length of . Although, in the past there was a much larger member of this family – Brachylophus gibbonsi, reached in length of 1.2m (03.9feet), 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).^[6]

True lizards (Lacertidae)

• The largest ever lived lacertid, the goliath Tenefire lizard (Gallotia goliath) reached the length of 1.2-.^[7]

Marine lizards (Mosasauridae)

• The largest mosasaurs were Hainosaurus, Mosasaurus, and Tylosaurus, which grew to around and were projected to weigh up to .^[8]

Skinks (Scincidae)

• The Cape Verde giant skink (Chioninia coctei) was a very large skink^[9] that grew up to a snout-vent length of ^[10] and in a total length.^[11]
• 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 ^[12] with a total length of, and according to some information up to ^[13]

Monitor lizards (Varanidae)

• 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 and length of, and a maximum of at in length, which is toward the high end of the early estimates.^[14]
• Ever species fossil Saniwa measured NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet).^{[15] [16]}
• Palaeosaniwa was roughly comparable to a large monitor lizard (Varanidae) in size. Measuring around 3m-3.5mm (10feet-11.5feetm) in length,^{[17] [18]} it is among the largest terrestrial lizards known from the Mesozoic era. Later study shows estimation with snout–vent length about 85NaN for Maastrichtian species.^[19] Asprosaurus may compete with Palaeosaniwa in size.^[20] Another large Mesozoic varanoid lizard was Chianghsia with snout-vent length of over .^[21]

See also

• Largest prehistoric animals

Notes and References

1. 모사 사우루스의 최대 크기에 대해.... ko. M.blog.naver.com. 12 June 2022.
2. Lindgren, J.. 2005. The first record of Hainosaurus (Reptilia: Mosasauridae) from Sweden. Journal of Paleontology. 79. 6. 1157–1165. 10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[1157:tfrohr]2.0.co;2.
3. Book: Wilson, K.-J.. Flight of the Huia: Ecology and Conservation of New Zealand's Frogs, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. 2004. Canterbury University Press. 0-908812-52-3. 937349394.
4. Web site: Delcourt's giant Gecko - Encyclopedia of Life. Eol.org.
5. Web site: Rodrigues giant day gecko – Encyclopedia of Life. Eol.org.
6. Pregill . G. K. . Worthy, T. H. . A New Iguanid Lizard (Squamata, Iguanidae) from the Late Quaternary of Fiji, Southwest Pacific . Herpetologica . 59 . 1 . 57–67 . The Herpetologists' League . March 2003 . 10.1655/0018-0831(2003)059[0057:ANILSI]2.0.CO;2 . 85804786 .
7. Book: Martin, A.. 2006. 3. Aportaciones de D. Telesforo Bravo al conocimiento de la fauna de vertebrados terrestres de las islas Canarias. From the book: En Afonso-Carrillo, J. (Ed.), Actas de la Semana homenaje a Telesforo Bravo. 71–92. Instituto de Estudios Hispánicos de Canarias. 84-611-0482-X.
8. https://www.bbc.co.uk/science/seamonsters/factfiles/giantmosasaur.shtml Science & Nature – Sea Monsters – Fact File: Giant Mosasaur
9. Web site: Macroscincus coctei in the "Ilhéu Razo" (Cape Verde) del Dr. Franco Andreone. Caboverde.com.
10. 10.1080/00222937600770551. On the evolution of the giant Cape Verde scincid lizard Macroscincus coctei . Journal of Natural History. 10. 6. 691–712. 1976. Greer AE. 1976JNatH..10..691G.

    fr:Allen Eddy Greer

    .
11. Luís M.P. Ceríaco. 2012. 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). 74–81. Zoologia Caboverdiana. 2074-5737.
12. Book: James Evans. 2021. Princeton University Press. Lizards of the World: A Guide to Every Family. 978-1-78240-957-1.
13. Web site: Island Weirdness #26 – The Mauritian Giant Skink. Nixillustration.com. 19 May 2022.
14. Encyclopedia: Molnar. R. E.. Varanoid Lizards of the World . The Long and Honorable History of Monitors and Their Kin . Indiana University Press. 2004. 588 . http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=21751 . 978-0-253-34366-6.
15. Book: Varanoid Lizards of the World. Pianka. Eric R.. King. Dennis. King. Ruth Allen. 2004. Indiana University Press. 978-0253343666. 33 to 38.
16. Rieppel . O. . Grande, L. . July 2007 . The anatomy of the fossil varanid lizard Saniwa ensidens Leidy, 1870, based on a newly discovered complete skeleton . . 81 . 4 . 643–665 . 10.1666/pleo0022-3360(2007)081[0643:TAOTFV]2.0.CO;2. 130800851 .
17. Book: Archibald. J. David. Extinction and Radiation: How the Fall of Dinosaurs Led to the Rise of Mammals. 2011. JHU Press. 9780801898051. 43.
18. https://web.archive.org/web/20101028130444/http://dinosaur.org/palaeosaniwa.htm "Palaeosaniwa" from James Gurney: The World of Dinosaurs
19. Longrich . Nicholas R. . Bhullar . Bhart-Anjan S. . Gauthier . Jacques A. . 2012-12-26 . Mass extinction of lizards and snakes at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . en . 109 . 52 . 21396–21401 . 10.1073/pnas.1211526110 . 0027-8424 . 3535637 . 23236177. free . 2012PNAS..10921396L .
20. 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.
21. Mo . J. Y. . Xu . X. . Evans . S. E. . 10.1080/14772019.2011.588254 . A large predatory lizard (Platynota, Squamata) from the Late Cretaceous of South China . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 10 . 2 . 333 . 2012 . 2012JSPal..10..333M . 85682211 .