List of largest reptiles

The saltwater crocodile is the largest living reptile.

The largest living reptile, a representative of the order Crocodilia, is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) of Southern Asia and Australia, with adult males being typically 3.9–5.5 m (13–18 ft) long. The largest confirmed saltwater crocodile on record was 6.3 m (20.7 ft) long, and weighed about 1,360 kg (3,000 lb).[1] Unconfirmed reports of much larger crocodiles exist, but examinations of incomplete remains have never suggested a length greater than 7 m (23 ft).[2] Also, a living specimen estimated at 7 m (23 ft) and 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) has been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records.[3] However, due to the difficulty of trapping and measuring a very large living crocodile, the accuracy of these dimensions has yet to be verified. A specimen caught alive in the Philippines in 2011 (now enclosed at a zoo) was found to have measured 6.17 m (20.2 ft) in length.[4][5][6][7][8]

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.[1]

Rank Animal Average mass
[kg (lb)]
Maximum mass
[kg (lb)]
Average total length
[m (ft)]
1 Saltwater crocodile 450 (990)[9] 2,000 (4,400)[3] 4.5 (14.8)[10]
2 Nile crocodile 410 (900)[11][12] 1,090 (2,400)[1] 4.2 (13.8)[11][12]
3 Orinoco crocodile 380 (840)[13] 1,100 (2,400) 4.1 (13.5)[13][14]
4 Leatherback sea turtle 364 (800)[15][16] 932 (2,050)[1] 2.0 (6.6)[1]
5 Black caiman 350 (770)[17] 1,100 (2,400)[18][19] 3.9 (12.8)[20][21][22][23]
6 American crocodile 335 (739)[24] 1,000 (2,200)[25] 4.0 (13.1)[26][27]
7 Gharial 250 (550)[28] 977 (2,150)[29] 4.5 (14.8)[28]
8 American alligator 240 (530)[30] 1,000 (2,200)[1] 3.4 (11.2)[31]
9 Mugger crocodile 225 (495)[30] 500 (1,100) 3.3 (10.8)[31]
10 Tomistoma 210 (460)[32] 500 (1,100) 4.0 (13.1)[33]
11 Aldabra giant tortoise 205 (450)[34] 360 (790)[1] 1.4 (4.6)[35]
12 Slender-snouted crocodile 180 (400)[36][37] 325 (720)[36] 3.3 (10.8)[36]
13 Galapagos tortoise 175 (390)[38] 400 (880)[39] 1.5 (4.9)[40]

Crocodilians (Crocodylia)

The green anaconda is the most massive living snake.

Lizards and snakes (Squamata)

Plesiosaurs (Plesiosauria)

The largest known plesiosaur was Mauisaurus haasti, from the late Cretaceous oceans around what is now New Zealand. It is estimated to have grown to around 20 m (66 ft) in length and to have weighed 30 tonnes.[63]

Ichthyosaurs (Ichthyosauria)

The largest of these marine reptiles (extinct for 90 million years) was the species Shastasaurus sikanniensis, at approximately 21 m (69 ft) long and 68 tonnes. 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.[64]

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).
The giant leatherback sea turtle, the largest extant turtle, digs a nest on the beach.

Turtles (Testudines)

Pterosaurs (Pterosauria)

A dinosaur-era reptile (although not actually a dinosaur) 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 250 kg (550 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 11 m (36 ft) across the wings.[70][71] Another possible contender for the largest pterosaur is Hatzegopteryx, which is also estimated to have had an 11 m (36 ft) wingspan.[70]

See also

References

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