January 2005
The Komodo Dragon
Order
Family
Genus and Species
Squamata
Varanidae
Varanus komodoensis
Located between eastern Sumbawa and western Flores are three tiny grass-covered
islands:
Komodo, Padar and Rinca, which together form
the Komodo National Park system and are
home to the largest lizard in the world.....the Komodo Dragon.
These lizards live in one of the driest regions
of indonesia with few permanent water sources
with differing temperatures influencing the range of the komodo dragon. The
monsoon winds
bring little moisture to the region....the trade winds which blow in from
Australia also offer
little relief in the way of moisture. Temperatures
in the Komodo National Park , range from a
high of around 115 degrees fahrenheit to a low of around
60 degrees fahrenheit.
This huge reptile, discovered in 1912, grows to lengths of 10 feet for males and slightly smaller
for females. They weigh between 200 and 300 lbs.
and reach sexual maturity in around 6 years.
The breeding season is from June to July with
the female laying 10 to 20 eggs although 15 is
the
average. There is an incubation period of 8 months, and the komodo dragon has a lifespan of
around 20 years.
The two male komodos in the above graphic are positioning for a fight over
some female
which has caught both their fancies. Males usually get along very well
with each other,
except during the mating season. Their fighting consists of much pushing, shoving, and
lashing at each other with their tails.
Eventually, the stronger of the two emerges and the
loser retreats to try to find another female, hoping he comes out better
in the next fight
for mating supremacy. Rarely do these mating duels
result in death to either combatant.
Komodo dragons, or Monitors as they are sometimes called, are solitary hunters but often
share the prey of other komodos. They are basically
carrion (rotting flesh) eaters but can and
do attack and kill small deer and other smaller animals
which inhabit the island of Komodo,
Rintja, Padar, Gili Mota, and Owandi Sami. These animals include pigs and
monkeys.
Komodos sleep during the night and await the
sun to raise their internal temperatures enough
to allow them to become active and to be able to digest any food they might
find during their
daily foraging activities. A large komodo can
swallow a small deer whole and then will lay
around in the sun for a week, waiting for the animal to digest.
These reptiles are capable of short bursts of speed
which often takes prey off guard and assists
the komodo in being able to bring down animals which could easily outrun them
if they were
able to get into the open. The komodos use their
powerful tail as a weapon which can lash out
with tremendous force and is capable of bringing down larger animals, often breaking their legs
and rendering them helpless to the savage attack of the giant lizard.
The komodo in the above graphic is stalking prey....flicking its tongue to "taste" the air. Many
reptiles, including snakes, use this method to locate prey and to warn of
the presence of any
predators. Their sense of smell is fair, as is their sense
of hearing, but their sense of sight is
good and is the primary sense used in hunting.
Because of the komodo's habit
of eating rotting flesh, the bacteria in it's mouth
is extremely
dangerous and has caused
several deaths among humans who were only slightly injured by
the teeth of this giant reptilian dragon. Even a small bite or scratch inflicted by komodo's can be
fatal of not medically attended to.
There are believed to be around 4 to 5 thousand dragons
located on the five small islands on
which they are found. This is an educated guess, since no one has formed
an observation
party to study or count the lizards. They are
listed as "rare" on the Endangered Species list.
The two komodos in the above graphic are testing the air. They have
both sensed something.
They are now trying to determine if it is prey or predator. The only
predators they have to
worry about is other dragons and man.
Various clutches ( unhatched komodo eggs)
have been successfully hatched outside of their
native habitat and numerous zoos across the
world have komodos in their exhibition.
These
reptiles seem to be doing nicely and the concerted effort by many organizations
to increase
the population of the komodo dragon seems to be paying off.
Below, shaded in red and magnified, is the home of the komodo dragon.
Check back next month for February's "Creature of the Month". The African Killer Bees