Largest lizard

The largest lizard is the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), otherwise known as the Komodo monitor or ora, and found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar and Flores. Males average 2.59 m (8 ft 6 in) in length and weigh about 79–91 kg (175–200 lb). The largest accurately measured specimen is believed to have been a male presented to an American zoologist in 1928 by the Sultan of Bima. In 1937 it was put on display in St Louis Zoological Gardens, Missouri, USA for a short period, by which time it was 3.10 m (10 ft 2 in) long and weighed 166 kg (365 lb).

Adult female Komodo dragons grow to an average length of 7 ft 6 in (2.28 m) and typically weigh 150–160 lb (68–73 kg).