By Titilayo Kupoliyi
Its venom is so dreadful that even larger prey animals like water buffaloes may succumb to their wounds after escaping an initial attack from it.
This venom prevents a prey’s blood from clotting, causing massive blood loss and induces shock.
This is what an encounter with the Komodo dragon can lead to!
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae
They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails, reaching up to 10 feet in length and more than 300 pounds, Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth.
The dragon is the largest extant species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 m (9.8 ft), and weighing up to 70 kg (150 lb).
As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators, and dominate the ecosystems in which they live.
Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals.
Komodo dragons’ group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world.
Komodo dragons have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years.
They prefer the islands’ tropical forests but can be found across the islands.
Though these athletic reptiles can walk up to seven miles per day, they prefer to stay close to home, rarely venturing far from the valleys in which they hatch.
The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa (Rusa timorensis), though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans.
Once a year, when they’re ready to mate, female Komodo dragons give off a scent in their feces for males to follow. When a male dragon locates a female, he scratches her back and licks her body. If she licks him back, they mate.
Males also sometimes wrestle one another to earn mating rights. Pregnant females then lay about 30 eggs, which they bury in the earth until they hatch eight months later.
When there aren’t any males around, female Komodo dragons have other means of reproducing: As they have both male and female sex chromosomes, female dragons can reproduce asexually in a process called parthenogenesis.
Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September; as many as 20 eggs are deposited at a time in an abandoned megapode nest or in a self-dug nesting hole.
The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful.
Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and dwell in trees to avoid predators, such as cannibalistic adults.
They take 8 to 9 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years.
Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits.
In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and is likely to contract further from the effects of climate change, due to this, they are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
They are protected under Indonesian law, and Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to aid protection efforts.
Culled / Titilayo Kupoliyi
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