The World Biggest Lizards Living in the Wild Savanna – Komodo Dragons
Komodo Dragons Lizard or in the Latin word Varanus komodoensis is also known as the Komodo monitor. Furthermore, It is a large species of lizard living in the east part of the Indonesian Archipelagos of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Padar Island. It is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae and recognizes as the largest living species of lizard. Moreover, it grows to a maximum length of 3 meters (10 feet) in rare cases with a weight of up to approximately 70 kilograms. Also, it is one of the popular tourist attractions in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara Province. And also, it has captivated tourists to come to Komodo National Park. Meanwhile, Komodo Dragon Tours are the most attractive tours and adventure activities to encourage them to visit the park as well as discover the dragons.
The behaviour of Komodo Dragons
These lizards have dominated the ecosystems in which they live because of the body size much bigger than other animals. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, as well as mammals. They are wild animals and need to watch during visit Komodo National Park. Moreover, it has been claimed that they have a venomous bite where there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several toxic proteins. The biological contents in these proteins are disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. The behaviour of the Komodo dragons group in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The big Komodo dragons mainly eat bi animals such as deer and buffalo, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Moreover, Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans.
Mating Season
The mating seasons are between May and August. Meanwhile, the eggs laid in September. They are the top predator level in the world and can eat each other including their baby. Mother of Komodo usually make several holes in the ground as the nest to keep their eggs, however not all filled by the eggs. It is a camouflage strategy to avoid predators to collect their eggs. There are about 20 eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nest. Furthermore, the eggs are incubated for 7 – 8 months and hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Each nest will always awaited by the mother to dispel other predators. When the eggs hatch, the baby Komodo directly run and climb trees to save themselves from other predators including their mother. They take 8 to 9 years to mature and estimate to live up to 30 years.
Description of Komodo Dragons
An adult Komodo dragon usually weighs around 70 kg, although captive specimens often weigh more. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, an average adult male will weigh 79 to 91 kg and measure 2.59 m. Meanwhile, an average female will weigh 68 to 73 kg and measure 2.29 m. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg including undigested food. Furthermore, the Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, as well as about 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth that can measure up to 2.5 cm length. Its saliva is frequently blood-tinged because its teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue that is naturally lacerated during feeding. It also has a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue. Meanwhile, the skin is reinforced by armoured scales, which contain tiny bones called osteoderms that function as a sort of natural chain-mail.
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