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© Sedgwick County Zoo, credit: Bill Chambers

Komodo Dragon

Varanus komodoensis

Physical Characteristics

  • These are the world's largest lizard. They are normally a sandy brown with dark markings, although color may vary. They have a long neck and the tail longer than the body. The feet have strong, sharp claws.
  • Size of average well fed adult:
    • length: male = 8.6 feet, female = 7.6 feet
    • weight: male = 200 pounds, female = 150 pounds
  • Average life span is 20 years.

Diet

  • Wild: anything they can catch, favorites include deer, goat, wild boar and even smaller komodos, will eat carrion

Behavior

  • Solitary: together only to breed and sometimes to feed on carrion
  • Diurnal (active in the day)
  • Good swimmer
  • Good eyesight
  • Can move quickly over short distances
  • Hunt by ambush and seize with jaws, bacteria in mouth infects prey when bitten, this usually causes death by blood poisoning, if prey escapes it usually dies within 1 - 2 days, can track down animals for up to 4 miles
  • Reproduction
    • clutch size: 20
    • incubation: approx. 7 months
    • juveniles live in trees, feeding on insects until they gain some size

Environmental/Global

  • Habitat: lowland areas, mainly open with grasslands and palm trees
  • Distribution: exclusively on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar, Flores, Gili, Mota, Owadi Sami
  • Status: Endangered
    • habitat destruction
  • Numbers: 2500-5000

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