Komodo Dragon

Komodo dragons mostly eat carrion (dead animals), but they are also known to attack and eat large animals like goats, pigs, deer, wild boar, horses, water buffalo, and sometimes even smaller Komodo dragons. They eat most of their prey and waste very little.

When hunting larger prey, Komodo dragons use an ambush technique. They will bite their target and follow it until the animal gets too weak from blood loss or infection. Unlike snakes that have a complex system to inject venom, Komodo dragons have a simpler method—their venom seeps into the wounds created by their teeth. Even if the animal manages to escape, it usually dies from shock and blood loss caused by the venom.

For a long time, people thought that harmful bacteria in the Komodo dragon's mouth helped to infect bite wounds and lead to fatal infections. However, recent studies suggest that their venom is the main reason their prey does not survive.

At the Zoo, the Komodo dragons are offered raw meat, including chicken. 

The Komodo dragon is native to the island of Komodo in Indonesia, as well as the nearby islands of Rinca, Flores, and Padar.

The species mostly lives in savanna grasslands and monsoon forests on the rugged, hilly volcanic islands. Komodo dragons prefer open spaces with tall grasses and bushes for cover. However, they have also been seen on beaches, high ridges, and dry riverbeds.

Adult Komodo dragons are at the top of their food chain and do not have any predators. However, juveniles can become targets for adult Komodos, large mammals, and birds.

Most of the Komodo dragon population is found within Komodo National Park, where the species and its habitat are protected. However, the dragons on the smaller nearby islands are at risk. They have low genetic diversity, meaning there are not enough different genes or individuals for a future healthy population. They also face habitat loss, less availability of prey species due to hunting, and competition for resources from introduced animals like domestic pigs and dogs. Like many species that live on islands, Komodo dragons are also impacted by climate change, which affects their habitat and future.

Komodo dragons are large reptiles that have long tails, strong necks, and sturdy limbs.  Their toes are equipped with sharp claws that curve backward, which helps them dig into the ground and hold onto their prey. Adult Komodo dragons are dark brown and have tough skin reinforced by bony plates called "osteoderms." Juveniles, on the other hand, are bright green with patterned bands along their bodies. While male Komodo dragons generally grow larger and bulkier than females, there are no obvious physical differences between the two sexes.

Their tongues are yellow and forked. Like snakes, Komodo dragons use their forked tongues to sample the air. They then touch their tongues to the roof of their mouths, where a special organ known as "Jacobson's organ" helps them analyze what they have smelled. Komodo dragons have a keen sense of smell that can detect the scent of carrion from several miles away.

The muscles in a Komodo dragon's jaw and throat allow it to quickly swallow large pieces of meat. They have several movable joints that let them open their lower jaws very wide. Although their bite force is not very strong compared to their body size, their powerful necks help them tear flesh from their prey. Their sharp teeth are designed to grip and rip food apart. The venom from toxin-producing glands causes ongoing bleeding, which can lead to the death of their prey. Their stomachs can expand quickly, allowing them to eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in one meal. If they feel threatened, Komodo dragons can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lighten their weight and escape.

Male Komodo dragons compete for the chance to mate with females. They wrestle while standing on their tails for support, using their forelegs to grab each other and try to throw their opponent to the ground. Sometimes, they get injured, and the loser either runs away or lies still.

Female Komodo dragons lay about 25 eggs, roughly the size of grapefruits. They dig nests in the ground to incubate their eggs, but they only produce one clutch each year and may not breed every year. Females either make their own or use nests built by mound-nesting birds to protect their nests. They often dig fake nests to confuse predators, including male dragons and other females.

The eggs take up to nine months to hatch. Young Komodo dragons live in trees to stay safe from predators and eat small animals. They will eat anything that fits in their mouths, including eggs, grasshoppers, beetles, and geckos. They are large enough to live on the ground when they reach about four years old and grow to around four feet long. Females usually become sexually mature at nine years old, while males do so at ten years old.

Males communicate their dominance when it comes to mating and getting food by wrestling with each other. They also make a hissing sound, which usually means they feel defensive. This hissing is often heard during feeding times and fights and is especially common among females during the mating season. Additionally, when female Komodo dragons leave their droppings, it releases special scents called pheromones that let males know that they are ready to mate.

Komodo dragons are generally solitary creatures, but they may gather in groups around a kill. Throughout the day, they roam their home ranges, which can be as large as one square mile. They do not defend these areas, so their ranges can overlap. However, when food is found in a shared area, the dominant dragon eats first. Typically, the biggest male  eats first, followed by smaller males, females, and then the younger ones, who come down from the trees to eat once the adults have left. To avoid being eaten by larger Komodos, juveniles often roll in feces to take on a scent that the bigger dragons will ignore.

Although Komodo dragons can run briefly at speeds of up to 13 miles per hour, they prefer to hunt by using stealth. They can wait for hours until prey crosses their path.

Like other monitor lizards, Komodo dragons are good swimmers. They tuck their legs against their bodies and use their strong tails to swim through the water.