List of largest reptiles

== Lizards and snakes (Squamata) ==

Snakes is the most massive living snake. • The most massive living member of this highly diverse reptilian order is the green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of the neotropical riverways. These may exceed and , 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 in length and weigh up to . The Burmese python, a south-east Asian species is known to reach up to and weigh as much as and is generally among the three heaviest species of snakes. Several other species of python can reach or exceed in length and 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 and weighed about . Length estimates for another very long extinct snake, the madtsoiid Vasuki indicus of India, range from . is among the largest species in the family Colubridae. • Among the colubrids, the most diverse snake family, the largest snake may be the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata) at up to . The Indian rat snake (Ptyas mucosa) is also very large with maximum sizes of up to , making it the second-largest species in the genus Ptyas. The Tiger rat snake (Spilotes pullatus), which usually grows to about , has been reported to reach up to , 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 . Few other species in the colubrid family (such as False water cobra, Brown tree snake and Pseustes sulphureus) can reach lengths of , but they are relatively slender and generally do not exceed in weight. is the longest venomous snake in the world. • The longest venomous snake is the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), with lengths (recorded in captivity) of up to and a weight of up to . The Yellow sea snake (Hydrophis spiralis) is the largest of the sea snakes growing up to a length of . Few other elapids can reach or exceed in length and in weight. is one of the heaviest venomous snakes in the world. • The Gaboon viper, a very bulky species with a maximum length of around , is typically the heaviest non-constrictor snake and the biggest member of the viper family, with unverified specimens reported to as much as . The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is nearly as large, with the maximum length being and maximum weight being . The rattlesnake genus Crotalus, which includes the aforementioned eastern diamondback rattlesnake and western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox), reaches a maximum length of , and according to W. A. King one large specimen had a length of and a mass of . The third largest rattlesnake is the Mexican west coast rattlesnake (Crotalus basiliscus), which reaches long and mass, 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 , with the former being considered as the third-longest venomous snake in the world. Lizards is the largest living species of lizard in the world. • 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 long and , although this is currently the only record that places the mass above . The Asian water monitor is also one of the largest lizards in the world, with sizes of up to and reported weights of up to . Few other species (such as perentie and nile monitor) can reach or possibly exceed in length and 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 and length of , and a maximum of at in length, which is toward the high end of the early estimates. is the most massive extant iguana. • Iguanas are very large lizards, some of which can reach lengths of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) and weigh more than . They are the largest lizards after some large species of monitor lizards, and the largest lizards in the New World. Iguanas vary considerably in size and form, but even the smallest lizards in this family are still quite large. Many sources describe the green iguana (Iguana iguana) as the largest iguanid, often reaching lengths up to 1.5 metres (4.91 ft) and masses of , and with a maximum length of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a mass of and in some cases even . However, the heaviest species in this family is the blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi), with a total length of up to 1.5 m (4.91 ft), a SVL of 51–76 cm (30 in) and a mass of up to It is the eighth-heaviest and largest extant lizard. Other large species in this family include the Galapagos land iguana (Conolophus subcristataus), with a length of about 1.5 m (4.91 ft) and a mass of up to . It is the second-heaviest iguanid after the blue iguana and the ninth-heaviest and largest lizard in the world. The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is also among the largest iguanas in the world, and a mass of from depending on islands. • The largest extant gecko is the New Caledonian giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus) of New Caledonia, which can grow to 14 inches in length. It was surpassed in size by the extinct Kawekaweau (Hoplodactylus delcourti) of New Zealand, which grew to a length of . Mosasaurs '', the largest known mosasaur and squamate. • The largest members of this order were the giant mosasaurs (including Hainosaurus, Mosasaurus, and Tylosaurus), which grew to around and were projected to weigh up to . == 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 and . == Ichthyosaurs (Ichthyosauria) ==

'', one of the largest marine reptiles to ever exist Some of these marine reptiles were comparable in size to modern cetaceans. Until 2024, the largest ichthyosaur was believed to be the Late Triassic species Shastasaurus sikanniensis, at approximately long and in weight, However, in 2018, a specimen from the Rhaetian stage of Lilstock was discovered to be 25 percent larger, approximately in length. The specimen was referred in 2024 to Ichthyotitan severnensis, with revised estimates of making it the largest known marine reptile. Shonisaurus popularis is another enormous ichthyosaur. It reached in length and in weight. In 2022 the tooth of a giant predatory ichthyosaur (unofficially named Swiss Tyrant) was discovered in the Swiss Alps. Based on crown diameter, the animal was about long and weighed , making it one of the largest marine reptiles ever. == Pantestudines ==

Turtles and tortoises (Testudines) • The largest extant turtle is the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), reaching a maximum total length of and a weight of . The second-largest extant testudine is the Loggerhead sea turtle. It tends to weigh slightly more on average than the green sea turtle, and reaches more massive top sizes. The Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) reaches a maximum size of and weight of , while the Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) reaches a maximum weight in the range of . Other species of Sea turtles are small-medium in size, but are still considered as large-sized for a typical turtle. is the largest extant freshwater turtle in North America. • The largest extant freshwater turtle is possibly the North American alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), which has an unverified maximum reported weight of , although this is challenged by several rare, giant softshell turtle from Asia (Rafetus and Pelochelys) unverified to and nearly in total length. The Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), a critically endangered species of softshell turtle, is sometimes considered as the largest extant freshwater turtle. The heaviest recorded specimen was reported to weigh . Some researchers have claimed that a related species, the Asian giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii), is the largest living species of freshwater turtle. However, such claims are fraught with problems, because it now seems likely that this species is actually a composite, i.e., consisting of several separate, presently undifferentiated species that have all been traditionally but erroneously lumped together taxonomically as a single species. In the genus chitra, two species of critically endangered turtles have been reported to grow to massive sizes. The Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra chitra), at up to , and the Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica), at up to , are also contenders for the title of the largest extant freshwater turtle. is the largest living tortoise. • The Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) and the Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) are considered the largest truly terrestrial reptiles alive today. The Aldabra giant tortoise has a maximum recorded weight of . The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) is the third-largest extant tortoise (and the largest mainland tortoise) in the world. The large adults of this species may reach in length and weigh more than . Other relatively large-sized tortoises include the Yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulatus) and Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardelis), at up to , and the Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys), at up to or more, can be rather large as well. The tortoise Megalochelys, of the Pleistocene epoch from what is now Pakistan and India, was even larger, at nearly in shell length and . (Podocnemis expansa) is the largest of the side-necked turtles. • The largest of side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) is the Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa). Its carapace length is up to and adults can reach up to in weight. There are also reports of these turtles weighing up to . The Mata mata (Chelus fimbriata) is another large species of side-necked turtle with a carapace length of up to and weight of more than . '', one of the largest turtles to have ever existed. • There are many extinct turtles that vie for the title of the largest ever. A close contender is Archelon ischyros, a sea turtle, which reached a length of and a weight of . Meiolaniformes A terrestrial relative of turtles survived until about 2,000 years ago, the Australasian Meiolania at about long and a weight of over . == 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 and body mass of . The largest well known pliosauroid is Pliosaurus funkei at in length. With a series of neck vertebrae from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation indicate a pliosaur, probably Pliosaurus, that may have been up to 14.4 metres (47 ft) long. == Crocodilians (Crocodilia) ==

is an apex predator throughout its range and is considered to be the largest extant crocodilian. • Some species of crocodiles such as Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and the critically endangered Orinoco crocodile (Crocodylus intermedius) can reach lengths of or more. The largest known specimen among the living crocodilians was an Orinoco crocodile with a length of . Due to the difficulty of trapping and measuring a large living crocodile, the accuracy of these dimensions is yet to be verified. These observations and estimations have been made by park officials over the course of ten years, from 2006 to 2016, however, regardless of the skill of the observers it cannot be compared to a verified tape measurement, especially considering the uncertainty inherent in visual size estimation in the wild. The largest Nile crocodile accurately measured, shot near Mwanza, Tanzania, measured and weighed about . Other crocodiles can also grow to large sizes, such the Mugger crocodile, which typically reaches an average maximum length of , and has a maximum reported length of . The extinct Crocodylus thorbjarnarsoni was the largest species in its genus, growing up to in length. The largest true crocodile ever existed is Euthecodon which estimated to have reached or even long. s are long, narrow-snouted crocodilians, and are among the largest species. • A long gharial was killed in the Ghaghara River in Faizabad in August 1920. Male gharials may grow up to a length of . The False gharial is also a large crocodilian with males reaching in length, weighing up to at least . is among the largest in the family Alligatoridae. • The largest member of the family Alligatoridae is the Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) with the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) sometimes growing to similar lengths. Black caimans can reach more than in length and weigh up to . American alligators can be almost as large, with males reaching in length and weighing over . Unverified reports suggest lengths of up to for the black caiman and for the American alligator, reaching weights of over , but such lengths are probably exaggerated. '', one of the largest crocodilians to ever exist. • The giant prehistoric caiman, Purussaurus, from northern South America during the Miocene epoch grew up to long and could weigh up to 8 tonnes, making it one of the largest crocodilians ever. Other contenders for the largest crocodilian ever include the late Cretaceous period Deinosuchus who according to a 2025 study D. riograndensis reached total lengths of Sarcosuchus imperator of the early Cretaceous was found in the Sahara desert and could measure up to and weigh an estimated . == 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 , measured in total length (including a neck length of over ) and measured up to across the wings. Another possible contender for the largest pterosaur is Hatzegopteryx, which is estimated to have had an wingspan. and Arambourgiania from Jordan could reach a wingspan of nearly . == Non-avian dinosaurs (Dinosauria) ==

• The main contender for the largest sauropod and the longest known vertebrate is Bruhathkayosaurus matleyi known from now disentereated remains which was upto in length and in weight. With paleontologist Michael Benton, giving Bruhathkayosaurus a length of 45 metres (148 ft). Another large sauropod is Maraapunisaurus fragillimus. Known only by lost vertebra, it was estimated at in length and in weight but later studies suggest smaller size, about in length and in weight. Breviparopus taghbaloutensis was mentioned in The Guinness Book of Records as the longest dinosaur at but this animal is known only from fossil tracks. In 2020 Molina Perez & Larramendi suggested that the narrow-gauge track, the position of the claws, and the era all indicate that it belonged to an enormous diplodocoid, and estimated its size at 33.5 m (110 ft) and 62 t (68 short tons). The better studied Supersaurus was possibly as long as over . One of the heaviest sauropods was Argentinosaurus at in length and or even in body mass. • The largest non-avian theropod was Tyrannosaurus rex, estimated at 12.1-12.2 m (40 ft) in length and around in weight. • The largest thyreophoran was Ankylosaurus at in length and in weight. • The largest ceratopsian was Triceratops, reaching in length and in weight. • The largest ornithopod was the Late Cretaceous Shantungosaurus at up to , and in length. == References ==