Inglês 
Espanhol 
3 min de leitura 
8 comentários 
Com mais de 6 metros de comprimento e mordida venenosa, o Megalania foi o maior lagarto terrestre já conhecido, superando em muito o dragão-de-komodo.
Muito antes da presença humana dominar a Austrália, um predador colossal reinava absoluto em terra firme. O Megalania, nome científico Varanus priscus, levou o gigantismo dos lagartos ao limite máximo já documentado. Parente distante do dragão-de-komodo, ele não era apenas maior — era mais rápido, mais agressivo e potencialmente venenoso, tornando-se um dos predadores terrestres mais temidos do Pleistoceno. As estimativas mais aceitas indicam que o Megalania podia ultrapassar 6 metros de comprimento, com alguns estudos sugerindo indivíduos ainda maiores. Seu peso é estimado entre 600 e 1.000 kg, dependendo do exemplar e do modelo de reconstrução. Em escala, isso o coloca no tamanho de um carro compacto, algo sem precedentes entre lagartos terrestres.
Para comparação direta, o dragão-de-komodo, maior lagarto vivo hoje, raramente passa de 3 metros e pesa cerca de 70 a 90 kg. O Megalania podia ser duas vezes mais longo e até dez vezes mais pesado.
Onde viveu e quando dominou a Austrália
O Megalania habitou a Austrália durante o Pleistoceno, aproximadamente entre 2 milhões e 40 mil anos atrás. Seus fósseis foram encontrados em várias regiões do continente, indicando ampla distribuição em planícies abertas, savanas e áreas semiáridas.
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Cidade fantasma de 4 mil moradores, abandonada após o colapso de uma mina de ferro, agora vira campo de treinamento com drones para polícia, resgate e equipes de emergência
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Câncer colorretal avança no mundo, mas maioria dos casos pode ser evitada
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NASA olha de novo para o buraco negro M87* e encontra no jato cósmico detalhes em raios X que parecem revelar um universo muito mais inquieto do que se imaginava
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Sonda espacial da NASA passa a apenas 4.609 km de Marte, recebe impulso de 1.600 km/h e segue rumo ao asteroide 16 Psyche, corpo avaliado em até US$ 10.000.000.000.000.000
Esse período coincidiu com a presença de uma rica megafauna australiana, incluindo cangurus gigantes, diprotodontes (marsupiais do tamanho de rinocerontes) e grandes aves incapazes de voar — presas ideais para um predador desse porte.
Mordida venenosa e caça ativa
Assim como os varanídeos modernos, o Megalania possuía glândulas de veneno. Evidências indicam que sua mordida combinava trauma mecânico severo com toxinas anticoagulantes e hipotensoras, capazes de causar choque e hemorragia nas presas.
Diferente da imagem de um réptil lento, o Megalania era um caçador ativo:
- usava emboscadas curtas e ataques explosivos;
- podia perseguir presas por distâncias moderadas;
- empregava mordidas repetidas para enfraquecer rapidamente animais grandes.
A estratégia lembra a dos dragões-de-komodo atuais, porém em escala muito maior e mais letal.
Anatomia feita para dominar
A estrutura corporal do Megalania revela um predador projetado para o domínio:
- crânio robusto, com dentes serrilhados e recurvados;
- pescoço e tronco musculosos, capazes de estabilizar presas grandes;
- membros fortes, sustentando um corpo gigantesco em terra firme;
- cauda longa e pesada, usada para equilíbrio e, possivelmente, como arma defensiva.
Essa combinação tornava o Megalania praticamente imbatível em confrontos diretos.
Encontro com humanos e a extinção
Há indícios de que o Megalania conviveu com os primeiros humanos na Austrália. Embora não existam relatos diretos, a coexistência temporal sugere que encontros ocasionais poderiam ter ocorrido — um cenário extremamente perigoso.
Sua extinção está associada a mudanças climáticas, redução da megafauna (suas principais presas) e, possivelmente, pressão humana indireta. Quando as grandes presas desapareceram, um predador tão especializado e gigantesco perdeu sua base de sobrevivência.
O maior lagarto que a Terra já viu
O Megalania representa o auge do gigantismo entre os lagartos terrestres. Nenhuma espécie viva chegou perto de suas dimensões, força ou papel ecológico.
Ele não foi apenas uma versão maior do dragão-de-komodo — foi um superpredador terrestre que definiu o limite biológico do grupo.
Sua existência mostra que, em condições ideais, a evolução pode criar criaturas que hoje parecem quase impossíveis fora da ficção.
Inverídica. Nao é venenoso
They used both venomous and poisonous in the story. Venomous is the correct term.
I’ve seen a dinosaur type bird up in the sky coming from the north star towards us youngtown az as I looked up he was smiling at us like as if he was saying I almost got you no feathers on his body little hands on upper chest of body long tail long wings head of a dinosaur big massive teeth no feathers as it went up to the north star it turned at an angle and looked at rus again winked at us and up till it disappeared towards the star ? Weather it was saying a ship the UFO’s made or it was real? ,the wings as I remember weren’t flapping. I’ve seen others look like bugs and vary close to spoke to them & that were ships so be aware around you that are small as they are going up that are& get bigger& disappear towards a star, that is how advance thee’ s UFO’s are beware.
This world of ours never ceases to amaze me. That era would have made living conditions for us really difficult. Everything was so huge and there were so many different things that could kill a person. What was the survival rate for anything back then? The bible mentions giants, could there have been giants during the Jurassic or dinosaur days? Giants are the only things that i could think of that could or would be able to survive in a world where everything is colossal and wanting to eat you/us. I know it’s silly and a little off the subject of giant prehistorical lizards but I’m curious about what other people think. Some people may not believe in giants, UFO’s or the bible…which is ok because we’re all entitled to our own beliefs but there’s so many things in this world that can’t be explained. There are only hypotheses and theories but no solid or concrete evidence. If there was, people would question, critique and maybe even ridicule the person presenting the evidence. I’m sorry for rambling and writing this novel. Damn you, giant lizard! Look what you made me do! Thank you everyone for being patient and reading this.
I agree with you, 💯%, there are things out there that we do not understand. People may look or think I’m crazy but I don’t care, we weren’t, or are the only living people in this world..
Giants, bigfoot, ufos, paranormal, the whole 9..
I believe they exist more than 💯%, people don’t like to admit or want to think about those exists because it’s unknown to them, they have to see the “proof”.
If giants lived there would be bones or fossils or artefacts they made to eat,hunt or butcher animals or as trinkets. If bigfoots lived they would be depicted in Indian fokelore or paintings or in fossilised bones,and camera trail cams easily would have caught a glimpse,if ufos exist they would need to have travelled faster than the speed of light for hundreds of years to get here an unlikely scenario,and we now know how rare the conditions are to create any life let alone intelligent life,you need a planet perfectly placed ,life here only exists because Jupiter sucks in most of the asteroids creating stability needed plus that planet needs water,oxygen,perfect temperature,a rocky planet in the goldilocks zone and that for at least a stable period of 3 to 5 billion years,the time it would take for intelligent life to evolve,so many cosmic coincidences even scientists say its all too perfect,there had to be a creator.The bible is the only real thing and it says we are the only life in the universe. However given we have no idea how life was created out of rocks ,chemicals,& organic molecules,carbon etc. If the constants of life are the same there would be intelligent life in the unoverse…so where is it.
Not answering our radio signals beamed into space for over 60 years thats for sure.
Chances are this is the only planet in the universe with life ,we are the aliens to every sterile planet out there… we are the only life. And that makes our planet the most amazing planet in the universe,yet we treat it as if they grow on trees,they dont…. this is it. We need to look after it,we will never find another….or aliens. Its dangerous to this planet if people believe in aliens,alien worlds with life or colonizing other planets.They will be less inclined to look after this one,pollute it and think we will all live on Mars some day…we wont,your blood will boil in less than a minute there if you got a tiny hole in your space suit.
No planet out there has life that is a current scientific fact. Believe in fairies or aliens but your ignoring the current known scientific fact….we are it the only life in the universe. Our planet is it.Sad as that may seem. Its what God wanted.Theres no evidence he exists except for miracles and they do occur on a daily basis. If you pray what you pray for will occur Ive seen it time and again,very spec8fic stuff even asking for a tree to fall a specific tree at a specific time and place to save us from a danger I knew existed ,the exact tree fell right in front of me and a few friends as we walked ,I asjed for that a week prior….suddenly a hurricane wind sprung up it fell the exact huge tree.The true power of the universe is in.prayer and it just exists.Waiting for us to tap in.It beats all science,it can make the impossible possible.Try it,you wont be dissapointed.
Prayer is simply the law of attraction. Space travel isn’t nearly as long-journeyed if you possess the ability to fold time or distance. To assume we’re the only inhabitants of the universe is incredibly naive. We haven’t had any responses because they haven’t CHOSEN to respond.
Bible said we are all there is !! No proof otherwise!!! UFOS are real but demon spirit is what they are ! Recorded at speeds that would decemate humans !