Komodo Dragon Size report

Most people have seen ordinary lizards daily, but many may not have heard of giant lizards two to three meters long on Komodo Island in Indonesia, where the Komodo Dragon lives, the largest living lizard in the world. The Komodo Dragon, scientific name Varanus komodoensis, is a reptile of the genus Varanus in the Varanidae family and is the largest lizard species known to exist today.

Komodo Dragons are ferocious; adults even eat juveniles of their kind and sometimes other adults. They can move quickly and occasionally attack humans, but they feed on carrion and go out of their holes to look for food thousands of meters away daily.

Komodo Dragons are endangered, with only about 5,700 left in the wild. Indonesia has established a national park on Komodo Island to allow the family of Komodo Dragons to reproduce and grow. There are also a small number of Komodo Dragons on Rinca Island, Motang Island, and Flores Island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia.

Komodo Dragon Size And Appearance

The evolutionary development of Komodo Dragons began about 40 million years ago with the genus Varanus originating in Asia and migrating to the Australian mainland, where it evolved into the extinct species of lizards, aided by a lack of competing placental carnivores animal. About 15 million years ago, a plate collision brought these larger sauropod species back to the Indonesian archipelago. In order to deal with their huge prey, Komodo Dragons have developed their own biological weapons - poison glands.

The skin colors of cubs are green, yellow, and black. Adult Komodo Dragons are dark brown all over. The skin of Komodo Dragons is covered with scales, known as small bones containing endosteum, which serve as a type of natural chain armor. Komodo Dragons have 60 frequently-replaced serrated teeth that can reach a length of 2.5 centimeters. Its saliva is often bloody because its teeth are almost completely covered by gum tissue that naturally tears away during feeding. It has a long, yellow, forked tongue. It can distinguish colors but has poor visual discrimination of stationary objects. As do many other reptiles, Komodo Dragons use their tongues to detect smells.

Average Size of Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon is the largest lizard known to exist, with an average body length of 2-3 meters; average weight: male 79-91 kg, female 68-73 kg. The largest is 3.13 meters long and weighs 166 kg (including undigested food inside). Captive ones are usually heavier than wild ones. Its tail is almost as long as its body, the limbs are as thick as adult arms, and the head is about the size of a volleyball. Komodo Dragons can live for around 50 years.

Living Habits

Komodo Dragons prefer hot and dry places and usually inhabit dry, open grasslands, savannas, and low-elevation tropical forests. As a lizard, it is most active during the day, although it exhibits some nocturnal activity. Komodo Dragons are afraid of strong sunlight, and the sun at noon in the equatorial region makes Komodo Dragons have to rest in a shady place. Komodo Dragons can see objects up to 300 meters away but are thought to have poor night vision because their retinas contain only cones.

Komodo Dragons are solitary and only come together to breed and eat. For shelter, holes dug by Komodo Dragons can range from 1 to 3 meters wide. They can run quickly in short sprints of 20 km/h, dive up to 4.5 meters underwater, and expertly climb trees with their strong claws when young. As it grows, its claws are used primarily as weapons, as its enormous size makes climbing impractical. Komodo Dragons may have stood back to capture unreachable prey, using their tails for support.

Reproduction

Komodo Dragons are sexually mature in 3-5 years and mate yearly from May to August. Males fight to determine their mates, and casualties often occur. Komodo Dragon females sometimes reproduce parthenogenetically; they do not need a male to reproduce. Komodo Dragons lay eggs around September. An average of 20 eggs are in a clutch, and the incubation period is 7-8 months. The female will lay her eggs in the ground or a tree hole. At about ten years old, the female enters the peak egg-laying period, laying more than 20 eggs each time and hatching eggs by the natural temperature of solar radiation.

Final Words

Komodo Dragons run extremely fast and can instantly accelerate to 20-25 km/h, but they seldom hunt down prey. Komodo Dragons have a keen sense of smell and will lie in ambush in the path of their prey. As large carnivorous lizards, they feed on wild boars, deer, monkeys, snakes, etc., on the island and sometimes prey on weaker ones and juveniles. They also occasionally attack humans or feed on human corpses. People once hunted the Komodo Dragon for its hard and thick skin; it became one of the most precious and endangered species in the world. In 1991, Komodo National Park was registered as a World Heritage Site, and they have been protected.