Lizards can usually be seen basking in the sun during the day, but at night they prefer to hide near rocks and other vegetation. Lizards, belonging to the reptile class, share common features such as the forked tongue of a snake and scales. Lizards use their claws to dig, climb, and defend themselves. Their tails are often as long or longer than the rest of their body and are used for balance, climbing, and defense.
Lizards can live up to 50 years and have 4,675 species. Most species lay eggs, but some of them are carried inside the mother. Lizards mature from 18 months to 7 years, some species take much longer to become adults. They range in length from just over half an inch to over 10 feet.
Some interesting facts about lizards:
- They use their tongue to sniff
- They have movable eyelids for blinking (with a few exceptions).
- Their tail contains up to 60% fat.
- On hot surfaces, they quickly raise their legs, like in a dance.
- Their ears are located just below the surface of the skin with visible holes.
- The only continent that does not have lizards is Antarctica.
- When the mother lays eggs, she does not stay close to protect the eggs.
The lizards we usually think of and know about are not on this list. Keep reading to find out which species are among the ten largest lizards in the world!
# 10: Marine Iguana (Umbrerinh Kristat)
One of the adorable species of lizards is the marine iguana. They are the only lizards that swim in the ocean around the Galapagos Islands. The short blunt noses allow them to feed on algae and algae. Their claws help them stay on the ocean floor, and their flattened tails help them swim in a serpentine motion. They can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes and dive up to 65 feet underwater. They will “sneeze” the excess salt they have absorbed from their long stay in the ocean to prevent dehydration.
During times of food shortages, the marine iguana can lose up to 20% of its size. This allows the lizard to eat less food and stay healthy. As soon as food supplies are restored, the lizard will return to its previous size. Males grow up to 26 pounds and about 4 ½ feet in length, while females tend to be smaller – about 2 feet in length.
Young marine iguanas are usually black in color. As they grow older, their color will change to include red and black, green, red and gray, and they will become more colorful during the mating season. They lay 2–3 eggs on land in burrows, from which they hatch from 2½ to 4 months. The life span of a marine iguana is up to 60 years.
This species declined sharply, losing most of its population during El Nina and a second wave of losses during the 2001 oil spill from the Jessica tanker. The appearance of other animals, such as cats, dogs and pigs, also claimed many lives of the lizard. The total population is now estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000.
# 9: Galapagos Land of Iguana (Conolophus Subcristatus)
Galapagos iguanas are native to the Galapagos Islands. It will grow to 28-30 pounds and grow to 5 feet in length. Their color is predominantly yellow with white, black and brown spots. They are considered vulnerable. The rise in the number of small animals such as cats, dogs, pigs and rats has led to a decline in the population of land iguanas. More and more animals hunt for the same food sources, and these animals are predators for young land iguanas and their eggs.
Terrestrial iguanas reach maturity at the age of 8-15 years with a life expectancy of 50 years. When they mate, the female will look for a suitable nesting site, bury holes and bury 2 to 20 eggs. The male will be very territorial and will protect his fellows. The female will defend her nest from other females wishing to use the same nesting site, but will eventually leave the nest for 3-4 months. It will take the babies about a week to get out of the burrow.
# 8: Blue Iguana (Cyclure Lewisi)
As the name suggests, this lizard is blue to gray-blue in color. It grows to about 31 pounds and nearly 5 feet in length. This coloration provides cover when the iguana disguises itself among the nearby rocks and bushes of Grand Cayman Island. The adaptive lizard makes its home in a dry, rocky forest with thorny foliage or wet areas of woodland, from dry to subtropical or semi-deciduous forests.
The blue iguana prefers to eat leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, insects, soil, excrement, leaves, stems, fruits, and flowers. They love to bask in the sun and hide at night in rocks, crevices or caves.
The average lifespan of this lizard is 25-40 years, and it does not become sexually mature until 4-9 years. They breed in spring, usually from April to June. The female iguana can become aggressive and territorial after mating. The eggs remain inside the female until the end of June-August. She will have up to 20 eggs, bury them one foot deep and feed them for 60-90 days until they hatch. A large number of eggs are killed by predators.
# 7: lace monitor (Varanus Various)
When named correctly, a lace monitor is a dark color with cream or yellowish lace patterns. This will help them disguise themselves from predators. When they lay eggs, the female digs up the termite mound from the side and lays 6–12 eggs. Termites will rebuild their mound, protecting the eggs from predators and elements by keeping the eggs at a constant temperature. After about seven months, the females will return to dig up the hatched eggs.
The lace monitor lizard is the second largest lizard in Africa, reaching 31 pounds. They have adapted their long tongue to a snake tongue in order to better use their sense of smell and taste. Using their highly evolved senses, they can tell where their predators are by clicking their tongues and tasting the remains of molecules. They are poisonous, but not fatal. Their long tails are used for balance while climbing, for protection, swimming and dominance when courting females during mating season.
# 6: Neal’s Monitor (Monitor lizard Niloticus)
Our sixth largest lizard is the Nile Monitor, with an average weight of 44 pounds and a length of 8 feet. Their tails are almost 1.5 times their body length, from olive green to black with cream or yellow V-shaped stripes on the head and neck. These streaks look like streaks or spots as you look further down your back.
At about two years old or 14 inches, females begin to lay eggs. They are laid in burrows, usually 12-60 eggs at a time, depending on the size of the lizard. The Nile monitor is semi-aquatic, but likes to bask in the sun on rocks and tree branches. They are native to Africa and have been seen 6,560 feet above sea level. Several Nile watchers have been spotted in Florida, probably due to escape or release from captivity.
They feed on crabs, crayfish, mussels, snails, slugs, termites, caterpillars, beetles, spiders, grasshoppers and crickets, fish, frogs, toads, lizards, turtles, snakes, young crocodiles and other reptiles, birds and their eggs, and small mammals …
# 5: Black Throat Monitor (Varanus Albigularis Microstictus)
This large lizard is often kept as a pet. Their temperaments are very gentle when raised as pets and they even need to interact with their people and they are said to get to know their owners. If you tend to hold a black-throated monitor, they love to play and need exercise. You can take them with you for walks on a leash. It relieves stress for your lizard and strengthens its immune system, improves health and socialization. Those who grow up in the wild can become aggressive due to the need for play. Uncertainty about what a person wants can make him fearful and lash out at him.
These lizards grow up to 60 pounds and up to 7 feet in length and have gray-brown scales with yellowish-white markings. Since they are native to Africa, they like higher temperatures, preferably at least 68 degrees. A black throat monitor requires about 12 hours of UVB illumination each day. They eat small rodents, crustaceans, fish, birds, eggs, small reptiles, and even chickens.
# 4: Transfer or Goannas (Vavan Giganteus)
Australia is home to a perennial lizard and Komodo is a relative. The bite of a perennial lizard is not poisonous, but heals for a long time. The lizard does possess evolutionary remnants of a venom gland, which could be the reason for the long healing period after being bitten.
When a predator approaches, the peontus raises its head and hisses to frighten the predator. Their second defense is using their long tail as a whip. They will turn and run if none of these actions work.
Their favorite foods are eggs of turtles, insects, birds, other reptiles, small mammals and marsupials. At 8.2 feet in length and an average of 44 pounds, the perennial lizard lives up to 40 years in the wild and hibernates in the colder months.
# 3: Wood Crocodile or Varane Crocodile (Varanus Salvadori)
The arboreal crocodile usually ranges from 7 to 9 feet, although the longest of them reaches an impressive 16 feet, which gives them victory as the longest lizard (Komodo is still the largest in size). The longest part of a lizard is its tail, which is half its length. They love to eat carrion, small reptiles, mammals and bird eggs.
This species is considered difficult hunting due to its aggressiveness. However, they have proven to be valuable for their meat and leather for clothing and drum records. Many fall into traps designed to catch other animals. Monitor lizards have snake-like tongues that allow them to more accurately search for prey. The long tail is used as a whip, and the jagged teeth cut and tear meat like a crocodile, which is why they got that name.
# 2: Regular, or Malay, water monitor (Varanus Salvator)
Southeast Asia is home to the Malay water monitor. Reaching 9.8 feet, this ferocious lizard can swim underwater for long periods of time and happily feed on crabs and other invertebrates. He can also climb trees and feast on whatever he finds in the bird’s nest. They are not timid from urban areas and have been seen eating riders.
The tail and neck are quite long, and the sharp claws and tail are used as weapons. People bitten by a Malay water monitor will not die from the poison, but will experience a slight exposure to the poison and bacteria from the bite.
Male observers will fight. They stand on their hind legs and, when they engage in a fight, seem to embrace. When one knocks the other down, the fight ends, and the one who remains standing wins.
# 1: Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis)
Weighing 300 pounds and 10 feet long, the Komodo dragon ranks first among the largest lizards. Young dragons are 18 inches long and live in trees for several months while growing. Adult Komodo dragons eat their young and other dragons, but usually eat carrion as their main food source. They sometimes also eat pigs, deer, and cattle. They are known to attack and eat people.
The Komodo dragon doesn’t always need to catch its prey. Their venomous bite prevents blood from clotting; thus, the victim goes into shock, bleeding out. Some believe that the bite creates bacteria that aggravate the dying process. Komodo dragons will also feast on prey that has recently died or nearly died. These magnificent creatures are native to Indonesia.