What animal is 10 feet long, over 200 pounds, and is capable of devouring
meals almost half its own size? The answer: the Komodo Dragon, the
largest monitor lizard in the world.
Komodos are native to several small islands off the coast of Southeast
Asia. Surprisingly, these lizards weren't discovered until 1910 because
of their remote location. The United States was presented its first Komodo
Dragons in 1986 as a gift to President Reagan, but they weren't
shipped to the U.S. until 1988.
These lizards have received much publicity lately with successful breeding
attempts in both the Cincinnati Zoo, and the National Zoo in Washington
D.C. Sobat, one of few the adult females now in captivity, has been
producing
since 1988. After she lays eggs, they are incubated until they hatch
approximately 8 months later. Some eggs never hatch though, as
captive breeding programs are still relatively new, and breeders are
still learning the most effective techniques. Sobat has successfully
produced 55 babies over a 7 year span. Each baby is vital to the
specie's survival as the Komodo Dragon is endangered.
As juveniles, the Dragons appear to be green with
black blotches, but lose this color with age. They eventually turn to a
dull brown, with no distinct patterns still visible. Adults have over 50
razor-sharp teeth that come in handy when feeding.
Their yellow forked tongue continually 'tastes' and analyzes the air
for any traces of food. Young generally eat insect larvae, bird eggs,
and small lizards, while older and larger Dragons feed on carrion.
In the wild, Komodo Dragons spend much of the day trying to regulate
their bodies' temperatures because they're cold blooded like all reptiles.
They sleep in burrows at night and search for optimum basking sites
throughout the hot Asian days. When the temperature reaches well over
100 degrees, they head for water holes to cool off. These harsh
conditions in the wild make it difficult for zoos to duplicate. Zoos are
often unable to provide hot enough temperatures or adequate burrowing
holes.
The Komodo Dragon is one of the most interesting lizards in the world.
With increased captive breeding and a promising future, we will soon be
able to learn much more about this elusive lizard.