Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards on Earth, growing up to 10 feet long; while most weigh around 150 pounds, some males top 330 pounds. They are endemic to a string of Indonesian islands and are listed as an endangered species. They are protected under Indonesian law, and the Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to protect them. Young dragons are particularly vulnerable to predation and spend most of their time in trees.
They are members of the monitor lizard family.
Along with their amazing appearance, these “dragons” boast a variety of astounding animal traits:
- Komodo dragons can have virgin births. They contain both male and female sex chromosomes. However, all the offspring will be male.
- Their tough skin is reinforced with bony plates called osteoderms, acting like a natural suit of armor.
- Despite their massive bulk, they can run in short bursts up to 13 miles per hour.
- They have venom glands in their lower jaw that secrete toxins to slow and immobilize their prey, rather than relying on bacteria in their saliva.
- They don’t use their noses to smell; instead, they flick their yellow, forked tongues to taste airborne scent particles and find food – they can detect rotting prey from up to 2.5 miles away.
- A dragon can eat up to 80 percent of its body weight in one huge meal.
- When they’re ready to mate, females produce a strong scent in their feces, attracting males. The potential mate then comes over, scratches her back and licks her; if she licks back, the deal is sealed.
- The Komodo dragon’s tail is as long as its body and is strong enough to kill a deer.
- It has about 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth that can measure up to 1 inch long. The teeth have an iron-enriched coating on their serrations and tips as an adaptation for maintaining the sharp cutting edges.
- In legends, these giant monitor lizards were regularly used by the great warrior Shivaji Maharaj to climb up the cliffs of the Western Ghats mountain range in India to gain access to enemy forts on these steep heights.
