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THE MAGNIFICENTKOMODO DRAGON PRESENTED BY ALOKITA PRAMANIK ( B. LI B. SC,2ND SEMESTER ) THE LAST DRAGON ON EARTH
INTRODUCTION Komodo dragons are not dragons they're giant lizards, the largest ones on Earth!
OVERVIEW Other Name: Komodo Monitor Scientific Name:Varanus komodoensis Diet: Carnivore Average Life Span in the Wild: Up to 30 years Size: 10 feet (3 meters) Weight: 150 kilograms SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN
Komodo dragons are endangered as of 2024, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red list.
Unique Habitat: Only found on five Indonesian islands. Rinca, Gili Montang, Nusa Kode, Padar, Komodo. Main Island: Komodo Island has the largest population. (approx 1700) Living Areas: Open grasslands,dryforests,coastal areas. Sleep in burrows or thick bushes
Physical Characteristics SKIN: Brown or gray scaly skin. Adult have tiny bones under their skin,creating a “chain mail”. Long Tail: Has a tail as long as its body. Sense of Smell: Use forked tongues and Jacobson's organs to smell and detect food.
Diet includes carrion, deer, pig, and large water buffalo. Hunting strategy: Rely on camouflage and patience. They have been known to dig the graves and eat buried humans. Adult Komodo dragons sometimes eat their young.
Venomous Bite Komodo dragons have 60 teeth,the highest number a reptile can have. Have venom gland that: Makes blood pressure lower Stops blood from clotting Makes prey go into shock
Reproduction Pregnant females lay about 30 eggs, which they bury in the ground. Hatch approximately eight months later. In the absence of males, female Komodo dragons can reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis.
Threats to survival Asexual reproduction leading to an imbalance of male offspring. Tourism disrupting mating and habitat.
Komodo National Park Composed of three major islands (Rinca, Komodo, and Padar). Established in 1980, declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to conserve Komodo dragons in 1991. Komodo Island residents had given them the name ‘ora’, which means “land crocodile.”
Because of an immensely slow metabolism, the monitor lizard can subsist on as few as 12 meals a year. Capable of eating as much as 80% of their own body weight at once. It was first discovered in Australia. According to fossil records, Komodo dragons migrated from their native island to Indonesia around 900,000 years ago.
REFERENCES WATCH: Living among Ancient Dragons. (n.d.). [Video]. Animals. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/facts/komodo-dragon Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (n.d.). Komodo dragon. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/komodo-dragon Komodo Dragon | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants. (n.d.). https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/komodo-dragon#:~:text=Komodo%20dragons%20live%20on%20only,both%20forest%20and%20savanna%20grassland. Starr, M. (2019, September 13). Komodo dragons are so badass they have 'Chain mail' embedded in their skin : ScienceAlert. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/komodo-dragons-have-elaborate-bone-chain-mail-embedded-in-their-skin