{"id":10627,"date":"2022-02-26T19:41:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T19:41:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?page_id=10627"},"modified":"2022-05-06T20:58:47","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T20:58:47","slug":"komodo-dragon","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/komodo-dragon\/","title":{"rendered":"Komodo Dragon: Key Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you know where Komodo dragons get their name? Did you know they are the largest lizards on earth, considered apex predators in their native habitats<\/a> because they have no natural predators<\/a>? Read on to learn about these and other Komodo dragon key facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick Facts About Komodo Dragons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scientific Name:<\/strong><\/td>Varanus Komodoensis<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Type of Animal:<\/strong><\/td>Reptile<\/td><\/tr>
Predator or Prey?<\/strong><\/td>Apex predator<\/td><\/tr>
Physical Description:<\/strong><\/td>Largest lizard on earth. Dark gray to black in color with four short, thick limbs, sharp claws, a powerful tail, and a rounded snout. Mouth contains many sharp, backwards-facing teeth and a long, snake-like tongue. Body is covered in hard, tough scales.  <\/td><\/tr>
Distribution:<\/strong><\/td>Found only on the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, including the island of Komodo.<\/td><\/tr>
Habitat:<\/strong><\/td>Found in various habitats on their islands but prefer a hot and dry environment. Habitats include lowland, savanna, and tropical forest.<\/td><\/tr>
Average Size:<\/strong><\/td>– 7.5 to 8.5 feet long
– 150 to 200 pounds<\/td><\/tr>
Average Lifespan:<\/strong><\/td>30 years (often longer)<\/td><\/tr>
Diet:<\/strong><\/td>Opportunistic carnivore; foods include<\/a>:
– Insects
– Birds and bird eggs
– Other reptiles
– Mammals (including large water buffalo)
– Juvenile Komodo dragons
– Carrion<\/td><\/tr>
Unique Abilities:<\/strong><\/td>– Komodo dragons are resistant to many strains of bacteria found in dead and decaying flesh, allowing them to eat carrion without harm.
– They have a blood-thinning venom in their teeth which allows them to bite their prey and wait for it to bleed to death before eating it.
– Juvenile Komodo dragons can climb trees to escape cannibalistic adults and other predators.
– Komodo dragons can swim up to 1,000 feet at a time.
– Komodo dragons can unhinge their jaws to fit large amounts of food in their mouth, and their stomach expands quickly as they eat. This allows them to eat up to 80 percent of their own body weight in a single meal.
– After eating such a large meal, a Komodo dragon can go for up to a month without eating again.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Much Does a Komodo Dragon Weigh?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Komodo dragons are the world\u2019s largest lizard, and part of the reason for this distinction is that they are so heavy. In fact, many Komodo dragons can get heavier than humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average weight of a Komodo dragon is between 150 and 200 pounds. Males are typically heavier than females.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to National Geographic<\/a>, some of the largest Komodo dragons can weigh up to 300 pounds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Big Can a Komodo Dragon Get?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If they\u2019re hauling that much weight around, Komodo dragons must be pretty large overall, right? True again\u2013most Komodo dragons are longer than humans are tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average length of a Komodo dragon is between 7.5 and 8.5 feet and, once again, males are typically larger than females. Some of the largest Komodo dragons can grow up to 10 feet long!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to get an idea of just how huge Komodo dragons can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-vSgY499KKQ<\/a>