KOMODO DRAGON

FACTS ON THE KOMODO DRAGON

• The scientific name for the Komodo Dragon is Varanus komodoensis.
• Varanus the Latin translated Arabic word meaning "monitor".
• The Egyptians believe lizards were the watchers or monitors for crocodiles.
• Komodoensis refers to the island of Komodo, where the majority of their species inhabits.

DIET

• The Komodo Dragon is primarily a carnivore, it's diet is made up of entirely meat.
• They are both predators and scavengers.
• It's diet is made up of deer, pigs, smaller dragons, water buffalo, and humans.
• They eat pretty much anything that's made of meat.

DESCRIPTION

• Average male size is 8.5 ft long, weighing 200lbs
• Average female size is 7.5 ft long, weighing 160lbs
• It isn't uncommon for some dragons to reach 10ft or over and weigh more than 300lbs
• They look like giant lizards
• They can live up to 30 years, but most are killed by other dragons before they die of natural causes.

LOCATION

• The Komodo dragons are found on the islands that make up the country of Indonesia.
• The name of the island where many of them are from is called Komodo island.
• The islands is made up of dense tropical forest and sandy beaches.
• The dense jungles allow them to blend in with plants so they can stalk prey.

HISTORY

• Komodo dragons may be the creature which the legend of Chinese dragon originated from.
• The words "Here be dragons" have been found on many ancient maps.
• This could possible be islands where early explorers encountered Komodo dragons

ADAPTATIONS

• The Komodo dragon has long, razor sharp claws which it uses like meat hooks to bury into its prey and shred flesh.
• The Komodo dragon also uses its large size to drag its prey to the ground and dig their claws into the animal.
• The dragons also have rows of sharp barbed teeth used to grip onto prey and rip flesh.
• The Komodo dragon is also known to sprint after its prey at a surprising pace of 12mph

ADAPTATION

• In addition to its teeth and claws, the dragon also has over 50 deadly bacteria in its saliva that will infect any creature with a single bite.
• The saliva also contains a poison that prevents blood from clotting.
• Even if its prey escapes, it will die within a week from blood poisoning. Then the dragon will track its prey and costume it.
• The Komodo dragon also has an amazing sense of smell, it smells through its tongue like a snake.
• It can smell rotting meat up to 3 miles away.

FOOD CHAIN

• Producer: Plants
• Primary consumer: Deer, pigs, water buffalo, and goats.
• Secondary consumer: Komodo dragons, and humans

POPULATION

• There are a total of 5,000 Komodo dragons left in the world, in both zoos and in the wild.
• But scientists believe that there are only 350 females capable of breeding left in the world.
• They are considered a species which is vulnerable to extinction.

Komodo dragons attack and feed in groups, almost like a pack of wolves. They overwhelm their prey with their numbers.

COOL STUFF

• The coolest thing about these creatures, are that they are one of the largest species of lizards in the world. They are like living dinosaurs. They may have inspired the legend of dragons.
• They are like something out of a horror movie, these giant lizards who can eat you and rip other animals apart. And they can kill almost anything with a single bite, than track you down no matter were they go and then finish them off.
• They are one of natures deadliest predators.

WORKS CITIED

• animals.nationalgeographic.com
• bagheera.com
• national zoo.si.edu