Komodo dragon

Komodo dragon

Komodo dragon or crocodile-the-earth (Varanus komodoensis) is a species of lizard that lives in the islands Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang and Flores in Indonesia. It belongs to the family of Varanidae monitors, lizards, and is the most known type of lizard, reaching 40 cm and 2-3 m in length and 110 kg in weight. Their unusual size is attributed to island gigantism, since there are no other carnivorous animals to fill the ecological niche on the islands where they live, and also to its low metabolism. As a result of this gigantism, these lizards, along with the bacterial symbionts, dominate the ecosystem where they live. Despite the dragons of Komodo mainly eat carrion, they also hunt and ambush prey including the invertebrates, birds and mammals.

The breeding season starts between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September. About twenty eggs are deposited in abandoned Megapodiidae nests and are incubated for seven to eight months, and hatching occurs in April, when there are plenty of insects. Dragons Komodo Juveniles are vulnerable and, therefore, it is home to trees, protected from predators and cannibalistic adults. It takes about three to five years until they reach the age of reproduction, and can live up to fifty years. They are able to reproduce by parthenogenesis, in which viable eggs are laid without being fertilized by males.

Dragons Komodo were discovered by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fierce reputation make them a popular exhibit in zoos. In nature, its range has contracted due to human activities and are listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN. Are protected by law in Indonesia, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

The komodo dragon is known to the natives of the island of Komodo, as now, Buaya Darat (land crocodile) or biawak raksasa (giant monitor).