A Giant Reptile Comes Knocking

With their scaled skin, terrifying eyes, and cold blood, reptiles are almost like aliens to us warm-blooded mammals. And while some people do love to keep reptiles as pets, most aren’t very fond of these creatures.

Australia is, of course, home to an incredibly diverse group of reptiles, and there are over 600 species of lizards alone to be found in the land down under. The biggest is a lizard known as perentie, a massive goanna that can weigh as much as 44 pounds! And as if that wasn’t scary enough, a 2005 study discovered that perenties may also be “somewhat venomous.”