| Named By: | Varanus was established by Blasius Merrem in 1820. The species Varanus priscus was originally named as Megalania prisca by Richard Owen in 1859 |
| Time Period: | Pleistocene, 1.5-0.04 Ma |
| Location: | Australia |
| Size: | Estimated between 4.5 and 7 meters long, sometimes estimated being slightly bigger at up to 8 meters long, depending upon similarity to other large lizards |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Fossil(s): | Scattered and incomplete remains |
| Classification: | | Chordata | Reptilia | Squamata | Platynota | Varanoidea | Varanidae | |
| Also known as: | | Megalania prisca | |
Megalania (Megalania prisca or Varanus priscus) is an extinct giant goanna or monitor lizard. They were part of a megafaunal assemblage that inhabited southern Australia during the Pleistocene. The youngest fossil remains date to around 50,000 years ago. The first aboriginal settlers of Australia might have encountered them.