science

List of largest reptiles

List of largest reptiles is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of largest reptiles rather than just read about it. In short: This list of largest reptiles takes into consideration both body length and mass of large reptile species, including average ranges and maximum records. The crocodilians reach a length of 4 m (13 ft) and a mass of 500 kg (1,100 lb) or more.

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Reference excerpt

This list of largest reptiles takes into consideration both body length and mass of large reptile species, including average ranges and maximum records. The crocodilians reach a length of 4 m (13 ft) and a mass of 500 kg (1,100 lb) or more. It is worth mentioning that, unlike the upper weight of mammals, birds or fish, mass in reptiles is frequently poorly documented, thus subject to conjecture and estimation.

The saltwater crocodile is considered to be the largest extant reptile, verified at up to 6.32 m (20.7 ft) in length and around 1,000–1,500 kg (2,200–3,300 lb) in mass. Larger specimens have been reported albeit not fully verified, the maximum of which is purportedly 7 m (23 ft) long with an estimated mass of 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). The following table below lists the 15 largest extant reptile species ranked according to their average mass range, with maximum reported/reliable/estimated mass also being provided.

Overall

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Snakes

The most massive living member of this highly diverse reptilian order is the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of the neotropical riverways. These may exceed 6 m (20 ft) and 200 kg (440 lb), although such reports are not fully verified. Rumors of larger anacondas also persist. The reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is longer but more slender, and has been reported to measure as much as 8 m (26 ft) in length and weigh up to 168 kg (370 lb). The Burmese python, a south-east Asian species is known to reach up to 6 m (20 ft) and weigh as much as 150 kg (330 lb) and is generally among the three heaviest species of snakes. Several other species of python can reach or exceed 6 m (20 ft) in length and 90 kg (200 lb) in weight. Fossils of what may be the largest snake ever, the extinct boa Titanoboa were found in coal mines in Colombia. It has been estimated to reach a length of 12.8 m (42 ft) and weighed about 1,135 kg (2,502 lb). Length estimates for another very long extinct snake, the madtsoiid Vasuki indicus of India, range from 10.9–15.2 metres (36–50 ft).

Among the colubrids, the most diverse snake family, the largest snake may be the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata) at up to 4 m (13 ft). The Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa) is also very large with maximum sizes of up to 3.7 m (12 ft), making it the second-largest species in the genus Ptyas. The Tiger rat snake (Spilotes pullatus), which usually grows to about 3 m (10 ft), has been reported to reach up to 4.2 m (14 ft), ranking it among the largest colubrids. The genus Drymarchon also contains some of the largest colubrids such as the Eastern indigo snake and the indigo snake (Drymarchon corais) which can both reach lengths of more than 3 m (10 ft). Few other species in the colubrid family (such as False water cobra, Brown tree snake and Pseustes sulphureus) can reach lengths of 3 m (10 ft), but they are relatively slender and generally do not exceed 5 kg (11 lb) in weight.

The longest venomous snake is the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), with lengths (recorded in captivity) of up to 5.7 m (19 ft) and a weight of up to 12.7 kg (28 lb). It is also the largest elapid. The second-longest venomous snake in the world is possibly the African black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), which can grow up to 4.5 m (15 ft). Among the genus Naja, the longest member arguably may be the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), which can reportedly grow up to 3.2 m (10.5 ft). The King brown snake, reaching lengths of up to 3.3 m (11 ft) and weights of 8 kg (18 lb) or more, is the largest venomous snake in Australia. The Yellow sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis) is the largest of the sea snakes growing up to a length of 3 m (10 ft). Few other elapids can reach or exceed 3 m (10 ft) in length and 9 kg (20 lb) in weight.

The Gaboon viper, a very bulky species with a maximum length of around 2.1 m (7 ft), is typically the heaviest non-constrictor snake and the biggest member of the viper family, with unverified specimens reported to as much as 20 kg (44 lb). The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is nearly as large, with the maximum length being 2.4 m (8 ft) and maximum weight being 15.4 kg (34 lb). The rattlesnake genus Crotalus, which includes the aforementioned eastern diamondback rattlesnake and western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), reaches a maximum length of 2.13 m (7 ft), and according to W. A. King one large specimen had a length of 2.26 m (7.4 ft) and a mass of 11 kg (24 lb). The third largest rattlesnake is the Mexican west coast rattlesnake (Crotalus basiliscus), which reaches 2.04 m (7 ft) long and 7.7 kg (17 lb) mass, and one captive-raised male was weighed at 8.8 kg (19.4 lb) in 2020. While not quite as heavy, other members of the viper family are longer still, the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta) and Central American bushmaster (Lachesis stenophrys), with a maximum length in the range of 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft), with the former being considered as the third-longest venomous snake in the world.

Lizards

The largest of the monitor lizards (and the largest extant lizard in genera) is the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), endemic to the island of its name, at a maximum size of 3.13 m (10.3 ft) long and 166 kg (366 lb), although this is currently the only record that places the mass above 100 kg (220 lb). Crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii) is probably the longest extant lizard, known to grow as much as 3.23 m (10.6 ft), with reported lengths of up to 4.8 m (16 ft) and weights of up to 90 kg (200 lb). The Asian water monitor is also one of the largest lizards in the world, with sizes of up to 3.21 m (10.5 ft) and reported weights of up to 90 kg (200 lb). Few other species (such as perentie and nile monitor) can reach or possibly exceed 2.4 m (8 ft) in length and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight. The prehistoric Australian megalania (Varanus priscus), which may have existed up to 40,000 years ago, is 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 320 kg (710 lb) and length of 4.5 m (15 ft), and a maximum of 1,940 kg (4,280 lb) at 7 m (23 ft) in length, which is toward the high end of the early estimates.

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of largest reptiles

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of largest reptiles claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of largest reptiles before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of largest reptiles ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of largest reptiles

In research: List of largest reptiles appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of largest reptiles in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of largest reptiles is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of largest animals, Lists of reptiles, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of largest reptiles outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

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