Living for up to 30 years in the wild, Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards in the world. They also have the smallest habitat of any large predator and are listed as vulnerable with a stable population on the ICUN Red List, but they are still at great risk.
Habitat
Komodo dragons live on 5 islands in southeast Indonesia, the island of Flores, Rinca, Gili Montang, Gili Dasani and Komodo. Rinca, Gili Montana and Gili Dasani are part of a national park where Komodo dragons are protected. All of these islands are volcanic, rugged and hilly with forests and savanna grassland. They have the smallest territory size of any large predator in the world.
Description
Komodo dragons are very big with females growing up to 1.8m and males growing up to 3m long. Due to their smaller size, females only weigh 70kg, while males weigh 136kg. Komodo dragons have black to yellow grey coloured skin that is rough and durable. They have a large tail, powerful claws and a forked tongue.
Diet
Komodo dragons mostly eat Timor Deer but will also eat water buffalo, wild pigs as well as snakes and fish that wash up on beaches. Komodo dragons hunt in a very unique way, using their camouflage to lay in wait for prey before jumping out to bite it but not necessarily to kill. As long as the Komodo dragon can land a bite on the prey, then the venom in their saliva will slowly kill the prey. The dragons then use their great sense of smell to track down the dead carcass and feast on it. Large prey is usually shared and Komodo dragons will eat almost everything, including bones, hide and intestines which they spin first to remove any contents. Leaving only about 12% of the prey behind, Komodo dragons eat fast, consuming up to 2.5kg of meat in a minute!
Threats
Some major threats to Komodo dragons that live outside of the national park are habitat fragmentation by humans and the frequent burning of grasslands to hunt Timor Deer. Although Komodo dragons that live inside the national park are more protected, they are still at risk from the illegal poaching of both Timor Deer and the Komodo dragons themselves. Another problem is the decline in males and although females can reproduce asexually, this only results in males causing an imbalance of genders.
How can we help?
The best way to help the Komodo dragons, unless you live with Komodo dragons, is to tell other people and help educate the population. If you live near Komodo dragons, you can make sure you do not poach any animals and report unusual or suspicious activities.
References
San Deigo Zoo - https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/komodo-dragon
Smithsonian's National Zoo - https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/komodo-dragon
National Geographic - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/komodo-dragon?loggedin=true
ICUN Red List - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22884/123633058
Wallpaper Cave - https://wallpapercave.com/w/wp2355967
Komodo dragons live on 5 islands in southeast Indonesia, the island of Flores, Rinca, Gili Montang, Gili Dasani and Komodo. Rinca, Gili Montana and Gili Dasani are part of a national park where Komodo dragons are protected. All of these islands are volcanic, rugged and hilly with forests and savanna grassland. They have the smallest territory size of any large predator in the world.
Description
Komodo dragons are very big with females growing up to 1.8m and males growing up to 3m long. Due to their smaller size, females only weigh 70kg, while males weigh 136kg. Komodo dragons have black to yellow grey coloured skin that is rough and durable. They have a large tail, powerful claws and a forked tongue.
Diet
Komodo dragons mostly eat Timor Deer but will also eat water buffalo, wild pigs as well as snakes and fish that wash up on beaches. Komodo dragons hunt in a very unique way, using their camouflage to lay in wait for prey before jumping out to bite it but not necessarily to kill. As long as the Komodo dragon can land a bite on the prey, then the venom in their saliva will slowly kill the prey. The dragons then use their great sense of smell to track down the dead carcass and feast on it. Large prey is usually shared and Komodo dragons will eat almost everything, including bones, hide and intestines which they spin first to remove any contents. Leaving only about 12% of the prey behind, Komodo dragons eat fast, consuming up to 2.5kg of meat in a minute!
Threats
Some major threats to Komodo dragons that live outside of the national park are habitat fragmentation by humans and the frequent burning of grasslands to hunt Timor Deer. Although Komodo dragons that live inside the national park are more protected, they are still at risk from the illegal poaching of both Timor Deer and the Komodo dragons themselves. Another problem is the decline in males and although females can reproduce asexually, this only results in males causing an imbalance of genders.
How can we help?
The best way to help the Komodo dragons, unless you live with Komodo dragons, is to tell other people and help educate the population. If you live near Komodo dragons, you can make sure you do not poach any animals and report unusual or suspicious activities.
References
San Deigo Zoo - https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/komodo-dragon
Smithsonian's National Zoo - https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/komodo-dragon
National Geographic - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/komodo-dragon?loggedin=true
ICUN Red List - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22884/123633058
Wallpaper Cave - https://wallpapercave.com/w/wp2355967