Elise Tobler - Komodo Dragons Are the Largest Lizards!

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS

Komodo dragons can be many different colors, from green and gray to blue and orange. Their bodies are covered in scales called osteoderms. These scales are hard like armor and make Komodo dragons difficult to bite or hurt. The older the lizard gets, the harder its scales become.

Komodo dragons often wrestle to test their strength.

The tail of a Komodo dragon is usually as long as its body and is one big muscle. Komodo dragons can use their tail for balance or defense. They use it to knock over predators. Mostly, the only predators of Komodo dragons are other Komodo dragons!

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Komodo dragons originally came from Australia. Fossil records show that Komodo dragons traveled to Indonesia about 900,000 years ago, walking and swimming to reach the islands. They vanished from Australia 50,000 years ago, when humans began to arrive.

HOME SWEET HOME

Komodo dragons love hot weather, so the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia where they live are perfect for them. The Lesser Sunda Islands are north of Australia and are called an archipelago. These islands have jungles, beaches, and volcanoes.

Komodo dragons have done so well on these islands because there arent any larger carnivores, or meat eaters, there. This means the Komodo dragons are in charge! They love to lay on warm beaches and also enjoy the forests. Sometimes, they dig burrows, or holes, to escape the heat. They will also take over burrows made by other animals.

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Komodo dragons sometimes swim between islands to find better food. They like familiar surroundings and dont stay away from home for long.

SMELLING WITH A TONGUE

Komodo dragons have a very strong sense of smell, but their nose doesnt do all the work. Like the tongues of snakes and other reptiles, the tongue of the Komodo dragon is one of its most important smelling tools.

When Komodo dragons flick their tongue into the air, it brings back smells that they can taste. The tongue is split, which means if the taste is stronger on the right side, a Komodo dragon knows what its looking for is to the right.

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Komodo dragons have a metabolism that is more like that of mammals. This means they digest, or break down, food quickly. This helps them move quickly so they can hunt bigger animals.

DINERS, DRAGONS, AND DIVES

Komodo dragons are carnivores. That means they eat meat. They will hunt very big animals, such as water buffalo and deer. They will also hunt smaller animals, like pigs. Often, they feed on carrion, or dead animals, left behind by other animals.

Komodo dragons have big appetites. They can eat as much as 80 percent of their body weight in one sitting! Komodo dragons will also often eat bones and hooves, but they spit these out later in the form of a pellet, much like owls do.

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Sometimes, adult Komodo dragons will eat baby Komodo dragons. To camouflage themselves, baby Komodo dragons will roll themselves in poop! This makes them smell like something an adult doesnt want to eat.

AMBUSH!

Komodo dragons can move pretty fast considering how large they are. They can run anywhere from 10 to 13 miles (16 to 20 km) per hour. But their speed isnt often used when they hunt. Komodo dragons like to hide, wait, and ambush their prey. Ambush means they jump out and surprise the animal!

Even if the prey escapes, its doomed. The bite of a Komodo dragon contains venom, or poison made in its body. It kills the prey. Komodo dragons use their sense of smell to find the body.