hello people if anybody in here knows about the monitor lizard megalania ive heard it could still exist is this true also what colors do reasearchers asume he would be would he have been gray like the komodo any input would be nice thanks
Justin
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is it true megalania could still exist
icemax
May 03, 2005 04:12 AM
Replies (5)
tectovaranus
May 03, 2005 11:26 AM
Check out the book Dragons in the Dust-The paleobiology of the giant monitor lizard,by Ralphe E. Molnar.Indiana University Press
'04 Isbn#0-253-34374-7. Exellent!This book is completely about megalania, will answer all your questions.
Cheers B.A
mequinn
May 03, 2005 12:07 PM
As Jstin has said, the "Dragons in the Dust" book by Dr. Ralph Molnar is excellent - and a good read about mega-varanids.
As for 'stories' of giant goannas in Australia - such stories do exist. The majority of them are written by researcher Rex Gilroy - but as he has admitted himself, some of his 'reports' are fabrications.... he does have a chapter in his book, "Mysterious Australia" on giant lizards called Whowie, Burrunjor etc...
BUT, from other sources, there are other reports of giant lizards, mostly from Sumatra and New Guinea - in 1530, 1930 (1946), 1957, and as recently as 1979 - of a giant 'crested' monitor lizard 15-30 feet long; perhaps it is a crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadorii), but perhaps not!
markb
tectovaranus
May 03, 2005 12:58 PM
Mark!
WHO THE HELL IS JUSTIN!
cant you figure out who posted that!
my post name is Tectovaranus I know it's obsolete but it seemed clever at the time.
HINT! I'm reading your book right now and its not even in print!
HINT! I'm your [bleep] huh!
cheers
mequinn
May 03, 2005 03:31 PM
Oh Yeah! Now I know who you are - hell if I know who justin is either....Talk soon bud...
markb
odatriad
May 03, 2005 07:55 PM
Hello Justin,
I seriously doubt that a large lizard of the proportions of Megalania could go undiscovered even in the most remote areas of Australia...
But if you are interested in reading up more on Megalania and other varanid ancestors and extinct members of the taxa, I suggest you check out Pianka and King's book(as I posted in a link above) "Varanoid Lizards of the World". The book offers a very comprehensive section dedicated to Varanid phylogeny, and paleontology, written by Ralph E. Molnar. I suggest you check it out..
Cheers!
Bob
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TheOdatriad
