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The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), is a large carnivorous reptile, and is one of the
11 subgenera in the genus Varanus, a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae. It is found
solely in the Indonesian province of Bali on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang.
It’s around 3 metres long and weighs
about 130 to 150 kg, making it the largest
living lizard on the planet.

The Komodo dragon is a large grey
or clay-coloured reptile. Its body squats
low to the ground and, with its huge head
swaying, it moves in a ponderous table-
like gait. It’s a heavy powerful animal; its
body is covered in scales containing small
bones called osteoderms that turn the
scales into a kind of armour-cladding. It
has a heavy rounded snout with powerful
jaws that can open exceptionally wide.
Lining its jaws are around 60, 2.5cm long
serrated teeth capable of ripping huge
chunks of flesh from its prey. All its teeth
are replaceable. Its body is big and it has an equally big thick tail it uses to support its weight when
standing upright, fighting other dragons. Its four short thick legs have paws brandishing five huge
clawed toes. Adults use these claws for burrowing, while juveniles use them for clambering up trees
where they spend the first years of their lives. The dragons hearing is poor and its eyesight is not
good, and is eyes have a special membrane constantly sweeping them, keeping them clean. Howev-
er, they can only see to a distance of about 300 metres, and at that distance, they have difficulty
seeing stationary objects. They depend a lot on their acute sense of smell and their other senses.
Subsequently, their long forked tongue is constantly licking and testing the air. Once pulled back
into its mouth a receptor on the top of its mouth known as a Jacobson's organ decodes the infor-
mation helping the dragon locate prey and move into a position where it can set up an ambush.
There it waits patiently, before darting out at a speed that could top, 20 km/h, smashing into the
unsuspecting victim.

Adult Komodo dragons live in low lying hot and dry open grasslands,
tropical forests and dusty savannas. They dig burrows nearly 9 metres deep
to live in, using them to shelter from the hot sun during the day and to keep
warm at night. They are solitary animals, but do come together to share a
kill and for mating. It’s at mating time that males are often seen wrestling
for supremacy. With the aid of their thick tails they stand-up to fight. The
wrestling match ends when one gives up and makes a hurried retreat, or is
killed. If killed, the winner will eat the loser. Young Komodo dragons, on the
other hand, live in trees. On the ground they are vulnerable to predators like
feral dogs, wild boars, civet cats and snakes; even adult dragons will eat
them. In the trees they live on insects, snakes and birds, but occasionally,
will temporarily leave the trees to hunt smaller animals. Juveniles leave the
trees permanently when they are big enough to fend for themselves or they
are just too big to climb trees anymore.

Komodo dragons are ambush predators and will attack any animal
that comes within striking distance of its concealed position. For its size it
can move remarkably fast, slamming into the unsuspecting animal, its pow-
erful jaws ripping into its throat, and its long curved claws viciously flaying
its body. Any animal escaping from the initial attack, may not survive long.
The dragon has a venomous gland in its mouth that secretes a blood clot-
ting inhibitor. Injected with this, an injured animal escaping could die of
extreme trauma or simply bleed to death in a very short period of time.
Once it has eaten its fill a komodo dragon must find a sunny spot to rest. It does this because its
digestive system is very slow. It must rest, giving its system time to digest the food. If not, the food
could rot in its system, poisoning the dragon. (See: Monitor Lizard)