Daily Dose of Prehistory: Back From Extinction 02

Megalania prisca, which means "Ancient Great Roamer", is an extinct giant monitor lizard that was native to Australia during the Pleistocene. Strangely it was the apex predator on the continent, in spite of the fact that nearly all of it's prey was warm-blooded. Megalania was the largest terrestrial lizard to ever exist, measuring anywhere from 15 to 26 feet in length and weighing up to 4280 pounds. With a mouthful of serrated teeth and massive strength, it would've had no trouble taking down large animals like the giant wombat Diprotodon or fending off other apex predators like the carnivorous marsupial Thylacoleo or the terrestrial crocodile Quinkana. In fact, Megalania outlived both of these predators, as both went extinct around the time humans arrived on the continent, some 40000 years ago, while Megalania went extinct only 11000 years ago. Judging by it's position on the food chain, it almost certainly would've hunted humans for food.

no demon duck of doom?

One of my favorite animals!