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The list of largest reptiles includes living crocodilians that reach a length of 6 m (20 ft) and more, such as Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius), American crocodile (C. acutus), Nile crocodile (C. niloticus), saltwater crocodile (C. porosus), gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii). The largest known crocodilian specimen measured 6.78 m (22.2 ft) and was shot in South America by Aimé Bonpland.[1][2] Unconfirmed reports of larger crocodilians exist, but examinations of incomplete remains indicate a length of less than 7 m (23 ft) and a weight of less than 2,000 kg (4,400 lb).

Table of heaviest living reptiles

The following is a list of the heaviest living reptile species, which is dominated by the crocodilians. Unlike the upper weights of mammals, birds or fish, mass in reptiles is frequently poorly documented and many are subject to conjecture and estimation.[3]

Rank	Species	Mass range [kg]	Maximum mass [kg]	Maximum length [m]
1	Saltwater crocodile	400 - 1,000[1]	2,000[4]	7
2	Nile crocodile	250 - 750[5][6]	1,090[3]	6.45
3	Gharial	160 - 680[7][8]	1,000[9]	6.55
4	Orinoco crocodile	200 - 640[10][11]	1,100	6.8
5	American crocodile	150 - 600[12][13]	1,000[14]	6.1
6	Leatherback sea turtle	250 - 500[15][16]	932[3]	2.8
7	Black caiman	225 - 500[17]	1,100[18][19]	6
8	American alligator	200 - 450[20][21]	1,000[3]	5.8
9	Mugger crocodile	160 - 400[22]	700[23]	5.63
10	False gharial	90 - 320[24][25]	590[26]	6
11	Loggerhead sea turtle	100 - 300[citation needed]	545	2.1
12	Green sea turtle	68 - 315	395	1.5
13	Slender-snouted crocodile	120 - 230[27][28]	325[27]	4.2
14	Aldabra giant tortoise	132 - 250[29]	360[3]	1.5
15	Galapagos tortoise	150 - 200[30]	400[31]	1.8

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

• The most massive living member of this highly diverse reptilian order is the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of the neotropical riverways. These may exceed 8.8 m (29 ft) and 227 kg (500 lb), although such reports are not fully verified.[32] Rumors of larger anacondas also persist.[33] The reticulated python (Python reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is longer but more slender, and has been reported to measure as much as 10 m (33 ft) in length and to weigh up to 158 kg (348 lb).[3][34] The Burmese python, a south-east Asian species is known to weight as much 183 kg and is generally the heaviest snake on average modern wild specimens. The fossil of the largest snake ever, the extinct boa Titanoboa were found in coal mines in Colombia. This snake was estimated to reach a length of 12.8 m (42 ft) and weighed about 1,135 kg (2,502 lb).[35]
• Among the colubrids, the most diverse snake family, the largest snakes may be the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata) at up to 4 m (13 ft).[36] 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 (9.8 ft).
• 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).[3] 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 m (9.8 ft).
• The Gaboon viper, a very bulky species with a maximum length of around 2 m (6 ft 7 in), 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).[3][37] While not quite as heavy, another member of the viper family is longer still, the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta), with a maximum length of 3.65 m (12.0 ft).[38]

• 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).[3] Crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii) is probably the longest living lizard, known to grow as much as 3.23 m (10.6 ft).[39] 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.[40]
• The largest extant gecko is the New Caledonian giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus) of New Caledonia, which can grow to 14 inches in length.[41] It was surpassed in size by the extinct Kawekaweau (Hoplodactylus delcourti) of New Zealand, which grew to a length of 580 mm (23 in).[42]
• By far the largest-ever members of this order were the giant mosasaurs (including Hainosaurus, Mosasaurus, and Tylosaurus), which grew to around 17 m (56 ft) and were projected to weigh up to 20 t (44,000 lb).[43]

Tuataras (Sphenodontia)

The larger of the two extant species of the New Zealand native tuataras is the Brothers Island tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri). The maximum size is 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) and 76 cm (30 in).

Ichthyosaurs (Ichthyosauria)

Some of these marine reptiles were comparable in size to modern cetaceans. The largest ichthyosaur was the Late Triassic species Shastasaurus sikanniensis, at approximately 21 m (69 ft) long[44][45] and 81.5 t (180,000 lb) in weight.[46] This massive animal, from the Norian stage in what is now British Columbia, is considered the largest marine reptile so far found in the fossil record.[47] However, in 2018, a specimen from Lilstock was discovered to be 25 percent larger, approximately 26 m (85 ft) in length, making it the largest marine reptile to have ever lived,[48] with some believing to even dethrone the blue whale in size.[49][50] Shonisaurus popularis is another enormous ichthyosaur. It reached 15 m (49 ft) in length and 29.7 t (65,000 lb) in weight.[45] Cymbospondylus youngorum is the largest Middle Triassic ichthyosaur, with 14 to 17.65 m (45.9 to 57.9 ft) in length[51][46] and 14.7 to 135.8 t (32,000 to 299,000 lb) in weight.[46]

Pantestudines

Turtles and tortoises (Testudines)

The largest living turtle is the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), reaching a maximum total length of 3 m (9.8 ft) and a weight of 932 kg (2,055 lb).[3] The second largest extant testudine is the loggerhead sea turtle. It tends to weight slightly more average weight than the green sea turtle, and reaches more massive top sizes.

The largest extant freshwater turtle is possibly the North American alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), which has an unverified maximum reported weight of 183 kg (403 lb), although this is challenged by several rare, giant softshell turtle from Asia (Rafetus and Pelochelys) unverified to 200 kg (440 lb) and nearly 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in total length.[3][52][53]

The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) and the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) are considered the largest truly terrestrial reptiles alive today.[3] While the Aldabra tortoise averages larger at 205 kg (452 lb), the more variable-sized Galapagos tortoise can reach a greater maximum size of 400 kg (880 lb) and 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) in total length.[31][54] The tortoise Megalochelys, of the Pleistocene epoch from what is now Pakistan and India, was even larger, at nearly 2.7 m (9 ft) in shell length[55] and 0.8–1.0 t (1,800–2,200 lb).[56]

There are many extinct turtles that vie for the title of the largest ever.[3] The largest freshwater turtle seems to be Stupendemys, with an estimated parasagittal carapace length of 2.86 m (9 ft 5 in) and weight of up to 1,145 kg (2,524 lb).[57] A close contender is Archelon ischyros, a sea turtle, which reached a length of 5 m (16 ft) and a weight of 2,200 kg (4,900 lb).[58]

Meiolaniformes

A terrestrial relative of turtles survived until about 2,000 years ago, the Australasian Meiolania at about 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) long and a weight of over 1 t (2,200 lb).[3] Later research suggests the maximum length possibly over 3 m (9.8 ft).[59]

Plesiosaurs (Plesiosauria)

Plesiosaurs were aquatic reptiles of the Mesozoic era. They had a broad flat body, a short tail, and strong flippers. Most of the Plesiosauroidea group are identified by their long necks, while Pliosauroidea are usually short-necked. The largest known plesiosauroid is Aristonectes, with a body length of 10–11.86 metres (32.8–38.9 ft) and body mass of 4 t (8,800 lb)[60] or even 10.7–13.5 t (24,000–30,000 lb).[61] The largest well known pliosauroid is Pliosaurus funkei at 10–13 m (33–43 ft) in length.[62]

Crocodilians (Crocodilia)

The largest known specimen among the living crocodilians was an Orinoco crocodile with a length of 6.78 m (22.2 ft).[1] The largest known saltwater crocodile measured 6.2 m (20 ft) and was shot in Papua New Guinea.[1] A 6.17 m (20.2 ft) long individual was captured alive in Mindanao in 2011.[2] The largest Nile crocodile specimen was purported to be a man-eater from Burundi named Gustave; it was thought to have been more than 6.1 m (20 ft) long. The extinct Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni was the largest species in its genus, growing up to 7.56 m (24.8 ft) in length.[63] The largest true crocodile ever existed is Euthecodon which estimated to have reached 6.4–8.6 m (21–28 ft) or even 10 m (33 ft) long.[64][65]

A 6.55 m (21.5 ft) long gharial was killed in the Ghaghara River in Faizabad in August 1920.[66] Male gharials reach an average length of 5.7 m (19 ft).[67] The largest gavialid to ever exist was the extinct Rhamphosuchus from the Miocene of Asia. It was originally thought to be 18 m (59 ft) long and more than 20 t (44,000 lb) in weight but later estimations suggest 10.5 m (34 ft) and 2–3 t (4,400–6,600 lb). Based on its fossils, the latter species was less massive and heavy than the other giant crocodilians, weighing an estimated 3 t (6,600 lb).[68][69]

The largest member of the family Alligatoridae is either the American alligator with the black caiman sometimes growing to similar lengths, which have been confirmed to grow up to 4.6 m (15 ft) in length and weigh up to 453 kg (999 lb), not as large as the preceding crocodilians but still impressive.[70] Unverified reports suggest lengths of up to 6 m (20 ft) for the black caiman and 5.84 m (19.2 ft) for the American alligator, but such lengths are probably exaggerated. The largest member of this family was caiman Purussaurus, from northern South America during the Miocene epoch. It grew to 10–12 m (33–39 ft) long and could weigh up to 8 tonnes, making it one of the largest crocodilians ever.[71][72]

Other contenders for the largest crocodilian ever include the late Cretaceous period Deinosuchus, at up to 12 m (39 ft) and 8.5 t (19,000 lb).[73]

Relative of crocodilians, Sarcosuchus imperator of the early Cretaceous was found in the Sahara desert and could measure up to 9 m (30 ft) and weigh an estimated 3.5 t (7,700 lb).[74]

Pterosaurs (Pterosauria)

A Mesozoic reptile is believed to have been the largest flying animal that ever existed: the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus northropi, from North America during the late Cretaceous. This species is believed to have weighed up to 126 kg (278 lb), measured 7.9 m (26 ft) in total length (including a neck length of over 3 m (9.8 ft)) and measured up to 10–12 m (33–39 ft) across the wings.[75][76] Another possible contender for the largest pterosaur is Hatzegopteryx, which is estimated to have had an 11–12 m (36–39 ft) wingspan.[76][75] An unnamed Mongolian pterodactyloid pterosaur[77] and Arambourgiania from Jordan could reach a wingspan of nearly 10 m (33 ft).[78]

Non-avian dinosaurs (Dinosauria)

• The main contender for the longest sauropod and the longest known vertebrate is Maraapunisaurus fragillimus. Known only by lost vertebra, it was estimated at 58 m (190 ft) in length and 122.4 t (270,000 lb) in weight[79] but later studies suggest smaller size, about 35 m (115 ft) in length and 70 t (150,000 lb) in weight.[80] Breviparopus taghbaloutensis was mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as the longest dinosaur at 48 m (157 ft) but this animal is known only from fossil tracks.[81][82] The better studied Supersaurus was possibly as long as over 40 m (130 ft).[83] One of the heaviest sauropods was Argentinosaurus at 35 m (115 ft) in length and 65–75 t (143,000–165,000 lb)[80][84] or even 100 t (220,000 lb) in body mass.[80] The tallest sauropods were probably Xinjiangtitan and Sauroposeidon with total height of 17 m (56 ft) and 16.5–18 m (54–59 ft), respectively.[80][85][86]
• The largest non-avian theropod was Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, estimated at 12.6–18 m (41–59 ft) in length and around 7–20.9 t (15,000–46,000 lb) in weight.[87][88]
• The largest thyreophoran was Ankylosaurus at 9 m (30 ft) in length and 6 t (13,000 lb) in weight.[89][90]
• The largest ceratopsian was Triceratops, reaching 8–9 m (26–30 ft) in length and 5–9 t (11,000–20,000 lb) in weight.[91][92][93]
• The largest ornithopod was the Late Cretaceous Shantungosaurus at up to 23 t (51,000 lb),[94][95] and 16.6 m (54 ft) in length.[94]

See also

• List of largest extant lizards
• List of largest snakes
• Largest prehistoric animals

References

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