Komodo Dragon

[Varanus komodoensis]

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Quick Facts

Size: Adult males average 8.5 feet long and weigh between 175 and 200 pounds. Adult females average 7.5 feet long and weigh between 150 and 160 pounds. However, there have been cases of Komodo dragons growing over 10 feet long and weighing 300 pounds.

Lifespan: The average lifespan of the Komodo dragon in the wild is 30 or more years.

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

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

Habitat: Tropical savanna forests, but range widely over the islands from beach to ridge top

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.

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

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 5,000 animals are breeding females.

Location in the Zoo: Forest Passage