Amazing reptile records: the world’s largest, tiniest, fastest and more!
Did you know some reptiles are record-breakers?
🔎 Reptiles are animals with dry, scaly skin instead of fur. Most reptiles lay eggs, and they are cold-blooded, which means their bodies get warmer or cooler depending on the weather around them!
From the fastest lizards to the largest snakes, the reptile world is full of awesome creatures…
Keep reading to discover some of their coolest records. 👇
Largest crocodile ever
Lolong is the world’s largest crocodile to EVER exist!
He lived a happy life and was housed in a custom-built enclosure at Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Centre, Philippines, until 2013.
He was a 6.17 metres (20 ft 2.91 in) long saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).
That’s as long as a small city bus. 🚌
Smallest tortoise
The speckled Cape tortoise, also called the speckled padloper, is super tiny!
Its shell can be as small as 6 cm (2.3 inches) in length – that’s about the size of 2 grapes. 🍇
The name padloper means ‘path runner’ because this little tortoise walks along trails in South Africa.
Being so small helps it stay safe by hiding in tiny cracks between rocks, where big predators can’t reach it!
Would you adopt a tiny tortoise as a pet?
Heaviest snake species
From largest, to smallest, to heaviest!
This time, let’s talk about the heaviest snake species – the female green anacondas of tropical South America and Trinidad. 🐍
They can weigh over 300 kg (660 lb), especially during pregnancy or… after a large meal!
Do you find it scary? 😱
Fastest reptile on land
Scientists at the University of California built a special ‘lizard racetrack’ to test how fast lizards can run.
What a dream job. 🤪
One lizard species in particular, the Costa Rican spiny-tailed iguana, ran as fast as 34.9 km per hour (21.7 mph)…
That’s about as fast as a skateboarder speeding downhill! 🛹
Could you outrun it?
Oldest tortoise
You might already recognise Jonathan the tortoise – he’s not only the oldest tortoise, but also the oldest land animal in the world.
So yes, he’s pretty famous around here. 😏
How old is he?
Well, although we can’t know his exact age, he was at least 192 years old as of 2024.
That means he was born in – or before – 1832…
Before your great-great-grandparents were even born!
That’s crazy to think about, isn’t it? 🤯