Megalania Prisca
stubMegalania PriscaMegalania Prisca
The Megalania Prisca wasgiant monitor lizard. A reptile reaching 30 feetlengthweighing at least 1,000 pounds or more. The Komodo dragonroughlysize oflion, but megalania was bigger than an average dairy cow. Extinct megalanialisted withmany casualties ofIce Age. Orit extinct? The creature has been sighted many times inlast century,some sightings suggest thatlives alsoNew Guinea.The name Megalania prisca means“ancient giant butcher”,this may certainly have beenfitting descriptionthis large meat eater. Megalania belonged tofamily that includesgoannas, or monitor lizards,largestwhich today isKomodo Dragon foundIndonesia. FossilsMegalaniacomparatively rare. No complete skeleton has ever ever found. However several partial skeletonsother elements have allowed scientistsdeterminesizestructure ofanimal. The large skull was equippednumerous recurved, scimitar-like teeth.
Fossil skeletons suggests Megalania wasstocky animal, much more bulky thanKomodo Dragonprobably at least one third longer (45 meters). Like its modern counterparts Megalania probably scavenged from dead animals, but would have also been ablehuntkill quite large prey. Komodo Dragons hunt by ambushhave been knownkill large deer, buffaloeven people. Whether Megalania killed Diprotodon,largest ofmegafauna ismatterspeculation; Howeverwas capabledoing so.
It would also have competedpreyother large carnivores such asMarsupial Lion, Thylacoleo carnifex. The fossil record indicates thatgeographic rangeMegalania was quite broad including sitesQueensland, central AustraliaNew South Wales. Until recently this animal was not thoughthave inhabitedsouthern part ofcontinent. Howeverfossil found at Naracoorte2000 extends its range much further.
It isbeloved animalcryptozoologists.
