The Komodo dragon is an amazing and truly unique animal, which is not without reason called a dragon. The largest living lizard spends most of its time hunting. It is an object of pride for the islanders and a constant source of interest for tourists.
Our article will tell you about the life of this dangerous predator, the characteristics of its behavior and characteristics characteristic of the species.
Appearance
The photos of Komodo monitor lizards given in our article help to understand why the locals nicknamed this reptile a land crocodile. These animals are indeed comparable in size.
Most adult Komodo dragons reach 2.5 meters in length, while their weight barely exceeds half a centner. But among the giants there are record holders. There is reliable information about the Komodo dragon, whose length exceeded 3 meters and weight reached 150 kg.
Only a specialist can visually distinguish a male from a female. Sexual dimorphism is practically not expressed, but male monitor lizards are usually slightly more massive. But any tourist arriving on the island for the first time can determine which of the two monitor lizards is older: young animals are always brighter in color. In addition, with age, wrinkles and leathery growths form on dull skin.
The body of the monitor lizard is squat, stocky, with very powerful limbs. The tail is mobile and strong. The paws are topped with huge claws.
The huge mouth looks menacing, even when the monitor lizard is calm. The nimble forked tongue that emerges from it every now and then is described by many eyewitnesses as creepy and frightening.
Story
Giant monitor lizards were first discovered on Komodo Island in the early 20th century. Since then, scientists have continued to study the species.
It has been established that the history of the development and evolution of monitor lizards is connected with Australia. The species diverged from its historical ancestor approximately 40 million years ago, then emigrated to the distant mainland and nearby islands.
Later the population shifted to the islands of Indonesia. Perhaps this is due to natural phenomena or a decrease in populations of species of food interest to monitor lizards. In any case, the fauna of Australia only benefited from such a relocation - many species were literally saved from extinction. But the Indonesian ones were unlucky: many scientists associate their extinction with predators of the Varanus genus.
Modernity has successfully mastered new territories and feels great.
Features of behavior
Monitor lizards are diurnal and prefer to sleep at night. Like other cold-blooded animals, they are sensitive to temperature changes. Hunting time comes at dawn. Leading a solitary lifestyle, monitor lizards are not averse to joining forces while chasing game.
It may seem that Komodo dragons are clumsy, fat creatures, but this is far from the case. These animals are unusually hardy, agile and strong. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 km/h, and while they run, the earth, as they say, trembles. Dragons feel no less confident in the water: swimming to the neighboring island is not a problem for them. Sharp nails, strong muscles and a tail-balancer help these animals to climb trees and steep rocks perfectly. Needless to say, how difficult it is for the victim he has his eye on to escape from a monitor lizard?
Dragon life
Adult Komodo dragons live separately from each other. But once a year the flock converges. The period of love and creation of families begins with bloody battles in which it is simply impossible to lose. The fight can end either in victory or death from wounds.
No other animal is dangerous for the monitor lizard. In their natural habitat, these animals do not know anyone stronger than themselves. People don't hunt them either. Only another dragon can kill a dragon.
Mating games of titans
The monitor lizard who defeats his opponent can choose a girlfriend with whom he will have children. The pair will build a nest, the female will guard the eggs for about eight months, which may be encroached upon by small nocturnal predators. By the way, relatives are also not averse to enjoying such a delicacy. But as soon as the babies are born, the mother will leave them. They will have to survive on their own, relying only on the ability to camouflage and run.
Monitor lizards do not form permanent pairs. The next mating season will begin from scratch - that is, with new battles in which more than one dragon will die.
Komodo dragon on the hunt
This animal is a real killing machine. The Komodo Islands can even attack those that are significantly larger than them, such as buffalos. After the death of the victim, a feast ensues. Monitor lizards eat the carcass, tearing off and swallowing huge pieces.
It is noteworthy that most predators prefer one thing - either fresh meat or carrion. Digestive system The monitor lizard is able to cope with both. Giants enjoy feasting on carcasses brought by the sea.
Deadly poison
Powerful jaws, muscles and claws are not the monitor lizard’s only weapons. Unique saliva can be called a real pearl of the arsenal. It contains not only huge doses (probably obtained from eating carrion), but also poison.
For a long time, scientists were confident that the death of a bitten victim was due to simple sepsis. But recently the presence of poisonous glands was discovered. The amount of poison is small and causes instant death only in small animals. But the dose received is enough to trigger irreversible processes.
Monitor lizards are not only excellent tacticians, but also amazing strategists. They know how to wait, sometimes hanging around near the victim for 2-3 weeks and watching how she slowly dies.
Coexistence with man
A natural question arises: can a Komodo dragon kill a woman, man or teenager? The answer, unfortunately, is yes. The mortality rate of a monitor lizard bite exceeds 90%. The poison is especially dangerous for a child.
But modern medicine has an antidote. Therefore, in case of an unsuccessful attempt to make friends with a monitor lizard, you should immediately go to the hospital. The death of a person from a bite is not such a common occurrence these days. As a rule, it occurs if a person hopes that he can cope with the illness. Doctors strongly recommend not to take risks; human immunity is not designed to withstand such stress as the venom of an exotic lizard.
This should be remembered not only by tourists, but also by those who decide to settle unusual pet Houses. The intensive care unit of a district hospital may simply not have the necessary antidote, so a preliminary consultation with a competent breeder is extremely necessary.
Monitor lizards in the reserve
No matter how sad it may sound, the formidable predator takes its place in the Red Book. Monitor lizards are protected at the state level. But on the islands of Komodo, Flores, Gili Motang and Rinca, huge reserves have been created in which giants live for their own pleasure. Despite the security and work of a team of professionals, cases of attacks on people are sometimes recorded. This often occurs due to excessive human attention to eating or fighting predators. A camera flash or noise can trigger an attack.
Therefore, if you intend to admire Komodo dragons, follow the rules of the reserve and listen to the advice of the instructor.
Where is Komodo National Park?
Founded in 1980 National Park Komodo is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago. The park spreads over 600 square meters. km of land and 1.2 sq. km sea waters. It includes three main islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as many smaller islands.
Komodo Island
All of them are part of the Lesser Sunda Islands group and are located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, the Indonesian archipelago. The largest of them is Komodo. Its population is 2 thousand people. The inhabitants of the island are descendants former prisoners, who were landed on the island and who subsequently mixed with the Bugis tribe from the island of Sulawesi.
Are Komodo dragons an endangered species?
Komodo dragons are classified as vulnerable animals. Experts estimate the population at 4,000 – 5,000 individuals. However, some scientists fear that among them there are only 350 females of reproductive age. All of them are listed in the IUCN Red List. A national park was organized especially for them on Komodo Island.
Any hunting of these pangolins is prohibited by law, and capture can only be carried out for zoos with special permission from the Nature Conservation Committee of the Indonesian government.
How much does a Komodo dragon weigh?
The Komodo dragon can reach a length of 2.5-3 m, its weight ranges from 50 to 70 kg. Females are smaller and reach a length of only 1.5-2 m. The length of the monitor lizard's tail is approximately half the length of the body.
How fast does a Komodo dragon run?
The Komodo dragon is quite fast and can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. In principle, a Komodo dragon can catch up with a person, although a lot depends on the person himself - how fast he runs. Having no natural opponents, in addition to carrion, he hunts almost all large animals that can be found on the island - deer, buffalo, wild boar and his smaller relatives.
Monitor lizard hunts deer:Hiding unnoticed in the bushes or any other shelter, the Komodo dragon waits for its prey and then attacks. The mortal danger lies in both sharp teeth and 50 strains of various pathogenic bacteria, causing poisoning blood and death of the victim, usually within 24 hours.
Feature article Mad Zoologist about Komodo dragons:
The Komodo dragon is sometimes called the Komodo dragon, and for good reason. This prehistoric predator, with its appearance and size, really reminds us of mythical dragons. The Komodo dragon is one of the largest living reptiles and is the largest living lizard. The massive body of this monster can reach more than 3 meters, but most often its length is 2-3 meters. These monitor lizards usually weigh about 80 kg, but can be much heavier - approximately 165 kg.
This dinosaur of our days is very impressively armed. Its skull averages about 21 cm in length, and its huge mouth contains many large teeth with jagged edges that are flattened laterally and curved back. Each tooth is a kind of cutting knife. With such teeth, an animal can easily tear out pieces of meat from its victim. The monitor lizard does not have chewing teeth; all its teeth are of the same conical shape, so it practically does not chew, and when tearing off pieces of meat, it simply swallows them. The structure of the skull and pharynx allows this reptile to swallow very large pieces.
In addition to its terrifying teeth, the Komodo dragon is armed with long, hook-shaped claws and a truly terrifying tail. A blow from such a tail can knock an adult off his feet and cause him serious injuries. When monitor lizards fight among themselves, for example over prey or a female, they stand on their hind legs, wrapping their paws around each other and bite each other, while simultaneously trying to overcome their opponent. Although, it must be said that they rarely fight over prey. On Komodo Island, monitor lizards are specially fed for the amusement of tourists. Several monitor lizards can easily devour a deer carcass. These huge lizards do not attack people, but they potentially pose a serious danger. There are reliable cases of attacks by these reptiles on humans. Not only is the bite of a Komodo dragon extremely dangerous in itself, but its mouth contains many microbes that can cause blood poisoning.
In addition to the Komodo Island itself, which is lost among the many islands of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo dragon lives on the islands of Flores, Rindja and Padar. All these islands are quite small and difficult to distinguish on the map. And the Komodo dragon is not found anywhere else in the world, so this type protected by law. It would be a real crime if this reptile, which has come down to us from the depths of many millions of years, disappears from the face of the earth now, in the 21st century AD.
Throughout its entire habitat, the Komodo dragon is the dominant predator. None of the animals living side by side with him can compare with him in strength. The diet of the giant monitor lizard is based on deer and wild pigs. In addition, it feeds on other, smaller animals, as well as carrion.
Monitor lizards search for prey using vision, as well as their unusual language. With its forked tongue, the monitor lizard perceives the slightest odor particles left by the victim and analyzes them using the Jacobson's organ, which communicates with the oral cavity. Having discovered its prey, the monitor lizard creeps up to it at a suitable distance and then makes a swift lunge. Despite its clumsy appearance, the Komodo dragon is capable of developing unexpected speed for such a huge lizard. In principle, a Komodo dragon can catch up with a person, although a lot depends on the person himself - how fast he runs.
Mating of Komodo dragons usually occurs in July and is accompanied by fierce fights between males. In August, the female lays more than two dozen eggs, which she usually buries in the ground or hides in a hole. After about 8-8.5 months, the eggs hatch into babies that grow very quickly. They are very timid and run away at the slightest danger. Not like adults, monitor lizards are excellent at climbing trees and often climb them to escape. Young monitor lizards are brighter colored than adults. Over the years, they acquire a darker, greenish-brown color. The lifespan of the Komodo dragon is about 50 years.
In captivity, Komodo dragons quite easily get used to humans and become tame. It seems to me that monitor lizards are the most highly developed reptiles, after crocodiles. There are cases when tame monitor lizards responded to their nickname.
- Class: Reptilia = Reptiles (Reptiles)
- Subclass: Lepidosauria = Lepidosaurs, scaly lizards
- Order: Squamata Oppel = Scaly
- Suborder: Lacertilia Owen = Lizards
- Family: Varanidae Gray, 1827 = Monitor lizards
Species: Varanus komodoensis = Komodo dragon, ora
Although dragons are fantastic creatures and, by and large, there are no such animals in nature, nevertheless, this is the name of the existing giant monitor lizards. Giant monitor lizards now live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Fleres and several other small nearby islands.
Living dragons or giant monitor lizards are of great interest to tourists visiting Indonesia.
Therefore, in order to see this amazing animal - a miracle of nature, about 1 thousand tourists specially come to Komodo Island every month. And they are going with one goal - to visit Komodo National Park, where they can see living legendary dragons.
Komodo Island is located in the Lesser Sunda Islands group, and to get to it, you need to swim across the treacherous Seip Strait. Tourists are prohibited from walking around the park on their own. The reason for such strictness is simple: you can be eaten. In addition, the places where you can meet the dragon are known only to park rangers.
Holding a thick stick forked at the end in his hands, park ranger David Howe walks with measured steps along a well-known path. He leads Jane Stephen to a female guarding a clutch of eggs. So David ducked into a narrow passage between the bushes, crawled on his knees a few feet and motioned for Jane to follow him. In the middle of the clearing rises a wide hill. Howe suspected that it was here, on the nesting ground of bigfoots, long-legged brown weed chickens, that the female dragon buried her eggs. Slowly following the caretaker, Jane crept to the very edge of the nest. At this time, Howe pointed his hand towards the low-hanging branches. At first Jane didn't notice anything. And suddenly, 10 steps away from her, she saw a female dragon about 180 centimeters long lying on the ground among the fallen leaves.
Throughout the entire historical path of their development, dragons had a strong reputation as carnivores. Perhaps they even ate dwarf elephants when they were still found here. Now the objects of their hunt are buffalo, deer, wild goats and pigs, which settled on the islands in a later period. But the reptiles themselves are not threatened by anyone, except humans, of course, and... brothers. Yes, dragons are cannibals.
Some statistics: Over the last 65 years (until 1993), 280 dragons were killed by humans. During the same time, the dragons killed and wounded 12 people. The main attraction of the park on Komodo Island is feeding the dragons. Out of curiosity, only twice a week do they bring a live goat to them, but the monitor lizards stubbornly wait for the keepers every day, which seems to do no honor to their intelligence.
Dragons of Komodo Island. February 9th, 2018
The Dragon! Hug him and cry.
Write about the dragon sobbing...
However, if you hug such a dragon, all you can do is cry. True, not for long.
It is said that its poison is lethal. They say that even without poison it can cause irreparable damage to the victim.
My acquaintance with Komodo dragons happened several years ago, when I went to these same Komodo Islands to celebrate my birthday in the company of these charming creatures.
Yes, they say all sorts of terrible things about them. Well, they ate several deer, buffalo and a couple of people... Well, they have teeth, claws, poison.
Well, yes, and these are not dragons at all, but giant monitor lizards.
But when you look at these cartoon creatures, you forget about all the vile insinuations in their direction.
Therefore, for me they will always be dragons. Cute, cartoonish, with funny heels.
True, I probably won’t hug them anyway.
Wow. How I fit the introduction, the ending, and a photograph of the dragon into ten lines...
Now it’s not very clear what to do with another five dozen photographs and a story about how these dragons posed for us and how in the end they almost ate our leader.
The main population of Komodo dragons - they are also Komodo dragons, they are also the largest lizards on Earth - lives on the islands of Komodo and Rinci.
To be sure not to miss the dragons, we decided to walk along both islands.
We started from Komodo Island - after all, the dragons were named after it.
Here we are - Russo-tourists, with a rested appearance.
The first dragon, carelessly lying under a tree. causes unprecedented excitement.
Although the ranger standing right there seems to be hinting with his whole appearance that he’s doing business, just think, an overgrown lizard.
And the dragon lies like this - why haven’t you really seen lizards?
However, at the sight of the second dragon, the photographers’ enthusiasm was no less.
Heels! What cute little heels he has.
But look at this. Another one is lying around. He climbed into the shade and didn’t care about anything.
We arrived on the island in the afternoon, when a sleepy kingdom reigns here. The dragons are sleeping, overwhelmed by the heat.
And only these, fed by rangers, do not find the strength to crawl into the forest and delight tourists.
However, without losing hope of finding a truly wild dragon and despite this very heat, we set off on a trek around the island.
We accidentally came across a nest of monitor lizards. Or rather, an incubator. Here the female dragon buries up to 20 eggs. After 7-8 months, little dragons will hatch from them. If they are lucky of course.
For luck, the dragoness guards the nest.
This time we were lucky and there was no strict guard nearby. However, there seem to be eggs in the clutch too.
Therefore, we move on, turn our heads, look at the beautiful palm trees.
And, by the way, you should have looked at your feet.
With our arrival, the dragon, or rather the dragoness, clearly perked up.
But no. The heat turned out to be stronger. Having lost interest in us, she fell asleep again.
On the way out we came across this scarecrow...
And terrible souvenir sellers who sold small wooden dragons for the price of two live ones. And in general they were extremely unkind. Apparently, they are very spoiled by the continuous flow of tourists.
The next island of our program is Rinca Island. It is smaller in area than Komodo, but there are more dragons there. So the chances of meeting them are much greater, given the increased concentration.
To further increase our chances, we arrived at Rinci early in the morning. At this time, dragons are most active.
And, by the way, not only dragons.
Of the two reptilians, we choose dragons.
Immediately at the entrance there are artifacts directly hinting at how a meeting with dragons might turn out.
Well, we are not the shy ones. In addition, there is very optimistic proof that life will still break through. in one form or another.
So let's not waste time. Let's go in search of dragons.
And so she came to us, dressed up for the holiday - standing, admiring the landscape.
Even the rangers kneel before such a beauty.
And tourists freeze in amazement.
In fact, we asked her to move around a little. She walked back and forth a little and showed us her beautiful gait.
But she stood like a statue. Without condescending to our requests.
She was clearly mocking us.
Why was she mocking - she was just openly laughing.
And only when we began to leave, she, realizing that the audience was leaving her, deigned to walk around a little.
Well, how to go about it. Turn around, bow and leave the stage under camera flashes.
Adult dragons are not too picky about what they eat. They eat everything that moves. Under a hot hand, or rather a cold paw, even the younger generation can be killed.
Therefore, in order to stay alive, young animals spend a lot of time in trees, where adults
dragons can't climb.
Like this natural selection, whoever didn’t think of climbing a tree won’t last long in this cruel world.
If, when you get to Rinci Island, you are not as lucky as we are and do not see wild dragons in the wild forests, do not be upset.
You will see dragons anyway.
The biggest party they have is in the kitchen. It seems almost all the dragons on the island have crawled here.
Well, except for the two we saw along the way.
A well-fed dragon is a good dragon.
But the painted dragon is evil. This is how animals caught in cannibalism are marked.
True, we were told that dragons that attack people are taken to some third island, where they serve a life sentence.
But these are probably particularly evil recidivist dragons. And for the first time, the dragons are marked with paint.
We left the island under the sad glances of the dragons.
Do you remember that I promised to tell you who and how almost ate the leader?
No, not these cute creatures at all.
Komodo dragon (giant Indonesian monitor, Komodo dragon) ( Varanus komodoensis) is the largest in the world. The predatory reptile belongs to the order Squamate, superfamily Varanidae, family of monitor lizards, genus of monitor lizards. The Komodo dragon, also called the “dragon of Komodo Island,” got its name from one of its habitats.
Seasoned and strong monitor lizards can easily cope with more impressive prey: wild boars, buffalos, and goats. Often, the teeth of adult Komodo dragons fall into the teeth of livestock, those who came to water bodies to drink, or those who accidentally met on the path of this dangerous lizard.
The Komodo monitor lizard is also dangerous for humans; there are known cases of these predators attacking people. If there is not enough food, large monitor lizards can attack smaller relatives. When eating food, the Komodo dragon can swallow very large pieces due to the movable joint of the lower jaw bones and a capacious stomach, which tends to stretch.
Komodo dragon hunting
The hunting principle of the Komodo dragon is quite cruel. Sometimes a large predatory lizard attacks its prey from ambush, suddenly knocking down its “future dinner” with a powerful and sharp blow of its tail. Moreover, the force of the impact is so great that potential prey often suffers broken legs. 12 out of 17 deer die on the spot when fighting with a lizard. However, sometimes the victim manages to escape, although she may suffer severe injuries in the form of torn tendons or lacerations in the abdomen or neck, which leads to inevitable death. The venom of the monitor lizard and the bacteria contained in the reptile's saliva weaken the victim. U large production, for example, in a buffalo, death can occur only 3 weeks after a fight with a monitor lizard. Some sources indicate that the giant Komodo dragon will chase its prey by smell and traces of blood until it is completely exhausted. Some animals manage to escape and heal their wounds, other animals fall into the clutches of predators, and others die from wounds inflicted by the monitor lizard. An excellent sense of smell allows the Komodo dragon to smell food and the smell of blood at a distance of up to 9.5 km. And when the victim does die, monitor lizards come running to the smell of carrion to eat the dead animal.
Komodo dragon venom
Previously, it was believed that the saliva of the Komodo dragon contains only a harmful “cocktail” of pathogenic bacteria, to which the predatory lizard is immune. However, relatively recently, scientists have determined that the monitor lizard has a pair of poisonous glands located on the lower jaw and which produce special toxic proteins that cause decreased blood clotting, hypothermia, paralysis, low blood pressure and loss of consciousness in the bitten victim. The glands have a primitive structure: they do not have canals in the teeth, like, for example, in snakes, but open at the base of the teeth with ducts. Thus, the bite of the Komodo dragon is poisonous.
