The Komodo Dragon (
Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard known to scientists. It commonly grows to over three meters in length, and weighs over two hundred kilograms. They are indigenous to the
Komodo Islands (hence the name), and are the top
predators there.
V. Komodoensis’ primary diet consists of deer and wild boar, but it is willing to eat anything, including smaller dragons. The reptile is capable of short bursts of 20 kilometers per hour (12.4 miles/hour), but prefers to hide and ambush its prey. It primarily tracks prey using its well-developed sense of smell, although it is capable of seeing objects 300 meters away.
After pouncing, V. Komodoensis will attempt to rip the prey apart with its sharp claws and teeth. Even if the prey successfully escapes, multiple bacteria found in the predator’s saliva will kill the prey via infection. V. Komodoensis, among the most intelligent of reptiles, will often take advantage of this when attacking larger beasts; it will bite the prey and flee, waiting for the infection to kill it. Once the animal dies, the smell will attract dragons nearby.
When feeding over a large creature, V. Komodoensis will adhere to a certain order. The largest and oldest lizards have priority, while the younger ones eat what was not taken. Otherwise, V. Komodoensis is a solitary species, coming together only for feeding and mating.
Mating season for V. Komodoensis is between May and August. Males will stand on their hind legs and wrestle each other over females. The victor will begin the mating ritual by flicking its tongue at the female’s snout, then over certain parts of her body. If the female accepts, mating will occur, with the female laying twenty to forty eggs in September. A female will dig a depression into a hole prior to laying, in which she will deposit her eggs. The female will watch over the eggs, but not over the young.
The young are about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) in weight, and about 40 centimeters (16 inches) in length. They spend most of their time in trees to protect themselves from older dragons, as well as to find prey. Young dragons are brightly colored (Mostly yellow and green), while older dragons are green-grey.
V. Komodoensis’s primary (and only) habitat is the Komodo Islands, which are just off the coast of Indonesia. There is little to no rainfall for most of the year, which is mostly governed by the monsoon rains that come annually. Temperatures range from 17-34 degrees Celsius (62.6 to 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit), with about 36% humidity.
V. Komodoensis is assumed to have been first discovered in 1910 by Dutch lieutenant J. K. H. Van Steyn van Hensbroek, who was serving as a civil administrator in the nearby city of Reo. According to the natives, he said, there were large monitor lizards living on the nearby island of Komodo. Van Steyn spent a short time there, and sent the corpse of one back to Indonesia for study. He mistakenly concluded that they had perfect vision and were deaf (V. Komodoensis can hear sounds, but not as well as humans can), and at first thought that the dragons mostly stood on hind legs. The person he sent the corpses to, P. A. Ouwens, was the one who gave V. Komodoensis its scientific name.
V. Komodoensis is considered to be a vulnerable species. Strict anti-poaching laws coupled with the creation of a national park, however, have helped the species maintain its numbers.