10 biggest lizards in the world

Lizards have existed on planet Earth for several million now. They perfectly adapted to the constantly changing environmental conditions, so now you can find this type of living beings in every corner of the globe, with the exception of Antarctica.

There are about 10 thousand species of lizards from the smallest to very large. Most often they have 4 legs, but some are more like snakes. Larger living creatures are carnivorous, while smaller individuals feed mainly on insects.

We present you the 10 largest lizards in the world.

10 Arizona Yadozub, 2kg

This species is also called “vest“. In total, there are two poisonous lizards on Earth, and Arizona gila – one of them. It is found in deserts such as Chihuahua, Mojave and Sonora, located in the northwest of Mexico and the southwest of the United States.

Most often, these lizards are dark brown in color with various spots of yellow, pink and orange. An adult reaches 50-60 centimeters in length.

Thanks to the large tail, in which the lizard stores fat reserves, the gila-tooth may not eat for several months. This is because they spend most of their lives in underground burrows (about 95%), crawling out only to search for food.

The bite of the Arizona gila-tooth is very poisonous, which can even lead to death.

9. Bengal monitor lizard, 7 kg

The view has another name – “common indian“, which is not accidental. Varan lives in India and Pakistan. The lizard can often be found in forests, gardens and plantations, often close to humans, as it prefers dry terrain.

However, if necessary, it can remain in the water for a long time. Despite its large size (about 175 cm long), the lizard runs and jumps fast enough.

Adults can have a different color – from yellow to brown and gray. Sometimes there are barely noticeable dark spots. They live in holes under trees or stones, but they can also live in a hollow, as the monitor lizard climbs trees well.

It feeds mainly on small rodents, as well as birds and their laid eggs, snakes and crocodiles.

8. Argentine black and white tegu, 8 kg

This type of lizard is also called “giant tegu“, and it is the largest of its kind. Individuals can be seen in Central and South America (savannas, deserts and tropical forests of this region). The size of the Argentine lizard is rather big – 120-140 centimeters in length.

During the breeding season, tegus regulate their body temperature, which is rare for lizards. The color of adult males is quite bright – a white body with black spots. But despite their size, the black-and-white creatures have the ability to quickly pick up speed while running short distances.

The giant tegu is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on invertebrates and insects.

7. White-throated monitor lizard, 8 kg

white monitor lizard lives in Africa. Most often it can be observed in the southern, eastern and central parts of the continent.

This lizard is considered the largest in Africa. The average weight of the female varies from 3 to 5 kilograms, and the males – 6-8 kilograms. Sometimes the weight of an adult monitor lizard can exceed 15 kilograms.

The body color of the monitor lizard is unremarkable even for its size (from 1,5 to 2 meters in length) – brown-beige, sometimes there are spots of a similar color.

Lizards do not like water, so they are often found in trees or on the surface of the earth. In the event of a threat, monitor lizards bite, hit with their tail or even scratch. They feed mainly on mollusks, beetles, as well as bird eggs. But their favorite delicacy is snakes: snakes, vipers and cobras.

6. Varan Salvador, 10 kg

This species has another name – “crocodile monitor“. Found only in New Guinea. Their peculiarity is that the tail of an adult individual occupies approximately two-thirds of the entire body size. The length of the lizard is about 2 meters.

monitor lizard of salvador – tree lizard. A large tail is needed to deftly climb trees. Sometimes it rises up on its hind legs to inspect the surroundings.

The color is quite inconspicuous in the surrounding conditions – a brown body with bright yellow spots. It feeds on bird eggs and sometimes on carrion. Cases of aggression on humans and livestock have been recorded. The crocodile monitor is threatened with extinction due to poaching and deforestation.

5. Marine iguana, 12 kg

The view is also calledGalapagos iguana» because of its habitat – the Galapagos Islands. The size of the body of an adult can reach 1,4 meters in length. Outwardly, it resembles a dragon from fairy tales – the color can be brown, green and even red.

Has large paws and dry skin. He spends most of his time at sea, but can be found on rocky shores, near mango trees, swims and dives excellently. They feed on seaweeds. They reproduce by laying eggs on a warm sandy shore.

4. Iguana Konolof, 13 kg

Konolofy – land iguanas. Their habitat, like the previous individual, is the Galapagos Islands. The body size of an adult does not exceed 1,2 meters.

The crest of a land iguana is much smaller than that of marine ones. Also in the process of evolution, this species does not have webs between the fingers, since they are not required on land.

The color of Conofol is very bright. Some parts of the body are yellow or orange, others are red or brown. Iguanas live in cool minks, protecting themselves from overheating, especially in hot weather.

Due to the fact that the lizard lives mainly on Fernandina Island, it does not have the opportunity to lay offspring in the wet sand. Therefore, females need to overcome several kilometers (about 15 on average) in order to lay their eggs in the crater of an extinct volcano.

Eats plant foods. A favorite delicacy is scaly cacti, which have a large number of spines.

3. Giant monitor lizard, 25 kg

It is the largest lizard in Australia. It is found in hard-to-reach places – in gorges and rocky terrain, as well as deserts, so that human intervention in his life is minimal.

Coloring – dark brown with beige spots. It has a body measuring up to 2,5 meters in length. But despite this,  giant monitor lizard has a strong body and powerful paws, which allows him to develop a sufficiently high speed when running.

Lizards defend themselves with a strong tail, sharp claws and large teeth. Monitor lizards feed on insects, fish, small rodents, birds and even reptiles (sometimes of their own species), as well as carrion. If the lizard is larger, it may qualify for large mammals – wombats and kangaroos.

2. Striped monitor lizard, 25 kg

Other name – “water monitor“. The species is found in areas of Southeast and South Asia, mainly Sumatra, Java, the islands of Indonesia and mainland India. striped monitor lizards – the most common type of lizard in Asia.

In size, this type is similar to the previous one – the length of the body reaches approximately 2-2,5 meters. It is not for nothing that the striped monitor lizard is called a water monitor – it can sleep in the water for a long time. But it also climbs well on any trees and digs holes for itself about 10 meters deep.

The adult is predominantly dark gray or black in color with small yellow spots. But due to the wide area of ​​​​distribution, there is a wide variety of colors of this type of lizard.

They have a muscular body, a fairly powerful tail and a well-developed sense of smell, which helps to overtake prey even at a distance of more than a kilometer.

Water monitor lizards can feed on any living creatures they can handle – medium-sized birds, small mammals, turtles and others. Cases of eating human corpses have been recorded.

1. Komodo dragon, 160 kg

Komodo dragon – one of the largest lizards on the entire globe. It is assumed that they previously lived in Australia, but the change in relief forced them to move to the Indonesian islands.

Monitor lizards of medium build vary in size around 2 meters. But the largest individuals are also known: body length up to 3 meters and weight up to 160 kg.

Adults have a slightly different color – from dark green to dark brown, with small spots. Monitor lizards run well, developing a speed of about 20 km / h, and also climb trees and swim.

The diet is varied: wild boars, buffaloes, snakes, rodents, crocodiles. They can even feed on their relatives and carrion.

The saliva is highly poisonous, capable of killing a buffalo in just 12 hours. There have been cases of violence against people. The Komodo monitor lizard is included in the Red Book, hunting for it is strictly prohibited.