Komodo Dragon

They are the biggest lizards.

They live on a few islands in Indonesia.

They hunt large animals.

Germs in their mouth kills prey in one bite.

Females lay eggs.

Appearance and behaviours
The Komodo dragon is the largest of all the lizards. They belong to the family of monitor lizards. Lizards are part of the reptile group of animals.

Komodo dragons grow to about 2 metres in length. Males weigh about 100 kilograms and females about 85 kilograms.

The Komodo dragon has a forked tongue which it flicks in and out. When the tongue flicks out it collects scents, and when it flicks in, that information is picked up by a special organ in its mouth that lets the animal's brain know what those smells are.

The Komodo dragon has a long neck and a tail that is longer than its body. It has short, powerful legs with strong, sharp claws. It can deliver a crushing blow with its tail.

It is reasonably good at climbing trees and can run quite fast over a short distance. The Komodo dragon can swim well. Dragons are generally a sandy brown colour with dark markings, though this may vary.

Where they live
Komodo dragons are found only on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Flores, Rintja and Pada.

Diet
They are ferocious predators. The Komodo dragon has powerful bacteria (germs) in its mouth that infects and kills its prey by blood poisoning. Usually just one bite is enough to kill. Adult dragons eat pigs, goats, deer, and young buffalo. They are known to attack humans.

Life Cycle
Komodo dragons live alone, and only look for each other for breeding. After mating, a female Komodo dragon lays about 20-40 eggs, which take about 8 months to hatch. The young live in trees, feeding on insects and lizards, then as they get bigger, on rats, mice and birds.

Conservation status
The Komodo dragon is endangered, and it is thought that there are less than 5000 left in the wild. The destruction of their habitat is the main cause of their reduced numbers.

Go here to read more about the Komodo dragon:
http://www.zoo.org/komodo/komo_flash.html

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

updated April 2007