The Giant Lizards of the Outback
Australia was once home to a giant lizard bigger than a crocodile. Some people say they've seen one still walking the outback.
What was reported
Megalania was a giant monitor lizard that lived in Australia until about 40,000 years ago. It may have reached 5 to 7 metres long, making it the largest land lizard known.
In the 20th century, a number of people in Queensland and New South Wales reported seeing enormous lizards, far larger than any known species, crossing roads or moving through the bush, and some wondered if megalania had survived.
Explanations offered
No body, bones or clear photographs of a living giant lizard have been found. Most sightings are thought to be perenties, Australia's largest living lizard, which can reach 2.5 metres and look much bigger when seen briefly. Megalania is generally accepted as extinct.
- When
- Reported in the 20th century
- Where
- Outback Queensland, Australia
- Witnesses
- Ranchers, travellers and bushwalkers
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.