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Daily
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Komodo Dragon
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| Scientific Name: |
Varanus komodoensis |
| Range: |
Indonesian islands of Komodo, Padar, Rinca, and Flores |
| Habitat: |
Grasslands and open forests near water |
| Natural Diet: |
Adults eat carrion (dead and decaying animals), deer,
wild pigs, eggs, and young Komodo dragons. Young Komodo dragons eat
insects, birds, rodents, and small mammals. |
| Zoo Diet: |
Mice, rats, and rabbits |
Physical
Characteristics: |
Komodo dragons take more than five years to reach their
adult size of ten feet in length and 350 pounds in weight. They have a
massive gray-black body with well-developed arms and legs. Each limb
ends in five talon-like claws. A Komodo dragon has a large, pointed head
and elongated neck. A deeply forked tongue helps them detect smells. |
| Behavior: |
Komodo dragons are active during the day and sleep at
night. They prefer to live alone, and are good climbers and swimmers.
Komodo dragons hide and wait for prey to come across their path. They
then use their powerful bite, strong tail, and sharp claws to capture
their prey. |
| Reproduction: |
Eggs are laid in groups, or clutches, of 7-60 eggs. The
eggs, usually laid in a tree hollow or termite mound, develop for eight
months before eight-inch yellow and black young hatch. This color
pattern helps young Komodo dragons hide from predators by camouflaging
them in their environment. |
| Notes: |
The Komodo dragon is the largest of all lizards. If it
needs to protect itself from predators, the Komodo dragon thrashes its
powerful tail. |
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