komodo+dragan

== =__Komodo Dragon__= By:Francisco Alfaro
 * Scientific name**: //Varanus komodoensis//
 * Common name**: Ora, Komodo dragon, buaja darat (land crocodile)

Facts:
The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard species. It is found mainly on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar, and Flores. They can climb trees and like all monitor lizards they are good swimmers. They have about 60 teeth that they replace frequently and are positioned to cut out chunks of its prey. The highly flexible skull allows it to swallow large pieces of its food. The Komodos mouth is full of virulent bacteria and even if its prey survives the original attack, it will die of infection later.Although often regarded as pests, they are not a serious menace to humans. http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/komodo.htm http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Size:
Komodo dragons are the world's heaviest and largest living lizards. They can grow to a length of 10 feet (over 3 meters) and weight of 200 lbs (91 kg.). Females are usually under 8 feet and weigh about 150 lbs. (68 kg.). http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Diet:
The Komodo is carnivorous and cannibalistic and it has a prodigious appetite. They regularly kill prey as large as pigs and small deer, and have been known to bring down an adult water buffalo. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can overpower including small dragons and small or injured humans (dragons make up to 10% of their diet). An eyewitness account revealed that a 101 lb (46 kg.) dragon ate a 90 lb. (41 kg.) pig in 20 minutes. As a comparison, a 100 lb. person would have to eat 320 quarter pound hamburgers in less than 20 minutes to keep up with the dragon. http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Population:
The komodo dragon is endangered. There are only an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 of these monitor lizards living today. http://www.scz.org/animals/d/komodo.html http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/komodo.htm

Lifespan:
The average life span for a komodo dragon is 20 years. http://www.scz.org/animals/d/komodo.html

Habitat:
The komodo dragon manly lives in the lowland areas, mainly open with grasslands and palm trees. http://www.scz.org/animals/d/komodo.html

Range:
It is found mainly on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar, and Flores. http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/komodo.htm http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Exhibit/Profiles/Maps/Komodo-Dragon.gif

Offspring:
The female wild dragons will utilize the nest mound of a brush turkey in which she will lay a clutch of up to 30 eggs. Hatchlings are about 15 inches and weigh 3.5 ounces. Juveniles live in trees, feeding on insects until they gain some size. http://www.scz.org/animals/d/komodo.html http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Interesting Facts:
The Komodo dragon's keen sense of smell, if aided by favorable wind, enables it to seek out [|carrion] up to 5 miles away. Despite its size, the Komodo is fast moving and agile. They can climb trees and like all monitor lizards they are good swimmers. Although often regarded as pests, they are not a serious menace to humans. In order to protect the dragon, the Indonesian government has made the islands of Padar and Rintja into nature reserves for both the lizard and its prey. http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/komodo.htm

If you want to see a komodo dragon in action type in komodo dragon in google in video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOF4YPdYELg