Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) is known as the largest and heaviest lizard on Earth. Komodo Dragon have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Island like Komodo Island, Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang for million of years and they prefer the islands tropical forest but they can be found across the islands.
These wild dragons typically weigh about 154 pounds (70 kilograms), but the largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms). Males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females. That make them to become an Apex Predator and dominate the ecosystem in which they live
Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat, scavenging for carcasses or stalking animals that range in size from small rodents to large water buffalo. Young feed primarily on small lizards and insects, as well as snakes and birds. If they live to be 5 years old, they move onto larger prey, such as rodents, monkeys, goats, wild boars and deer (the most popular meal). These reptiles are tertiary predators at the top of their food chain and are also cannibalistic.
The Komodo dragon has venom glands loaded with toxins that lower blood pressure, cause massive bleeding, prevent clotting, and induce shock. Dragons bite down with serrated teeth and pull back with powerful neck muscles, resulting in huge gaping wounds. The venom then quickens the loss of blood and sends the prey into shock.
Animals that escape the jaws of a Komodo will only feel lucky briefly. Dragons can calmly follow an escapee for miles as the venom takes effect, using their keen sense of smell to home in on the corpse. A dragon can eat a whopping 80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding.
Once a year, when they’re ready to mate, female Komodo dragons give off a scent in their feces for males to follow. When a male dragon locates a female, he scratches her back and licks her body. If she licks him back, they mate. Males also sometimes wrestle one another to earn mating rights. Pregnant females then lay about 30 eggs, which they bury in the earth until they hatch eight months later.
When there aren’t any males around, female Komodo dragons have other means of reproducing: As they have both male and female sex chromosomes, female dragons can reproduce asexually in a process called parthenogenesis.
In 1980, Indonesia established Komodo National Park to protect the Komodo dragon and its habitat. This 700-square-mile refuge is also home to species such as the orange-footed scrub fowl and Timor deer, as well as a rich marine environment supporting whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, corals, sponges, manta rays, and more than a thousand species of fish. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Komodo National Park has established patrols to prevent poaching. It also works with local communities to build awareness of the species and the importance of protecting it.
With Navila Liveaboard, you can see the Komodo Dragon in their natural habitat. Don't worry there's a ranger and guide who ready to help you if you have more question about the Komodo!
Comments