Komodo Dragon

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a venomous species of lizard and the largest living species of lizard.

Size: Adult males average eight and a half feet and weigh between 175 and 200 pounds. Adult females average seven and a half feet and weigh between 150 and 160 pounds. However, there have been cases of Komodo dragons over ten feet long and weighing 300 pounds.

Life Span: The average lifespan of the Komodo dragon in the wild is 30 plus years.

Color: Brown

Continent: Southeast Asia

Range: Indonesia, in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Rinca, Komodo, Flores, and the smaller islands of Gili, Montang, and Padar.

Habitat: Semi-arid savanna regions

Food: The Komodo dragon preys on pigs, goats, deer, young buffalo, and even horses. Young Komodo dragons eat rats, mice, and birds.

Reproduction: A female lays twenty to forty eggs, and the incubation period lasts for eight months.

Fun Facts: Komodo dragons are lethal predators, because of the potency of the bacteria in their mouths. The Komodo dragon's huge tail is capable of delivering a deadly blow to an opponent.

Conservation: There are approximately 5,000 Komodo dragons in the world; it is considered a threatened species and is protected by the Indonesian government because only 350 of these 5000 animals are breeding females.