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Komodo dragon feeding on a carcass, San Diego Zoo (video clip) Komodo dragons have long been sought-after zoo attractions, where their size and reputation make them popular exhibits. They are, however, rare in zoos because they are susceptible to infection and parasitic disease if captured from the wild, and do not readily reproduce in ...
Komodo (Indonesian: Pulau Komodo pronounced) is one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia. It is particularly notable as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, which is named after the island. Komodo Island has a surface area of 291 square kilometres, and had a human population of about 1,800 in 2020.
The earlier term "monitory lizard" became rare by about 1920. [4] The name may have been suggested by the occasional habit of varanids to stand on their two hind legs and to appear to "monitor", [3] or perhaps from their supposed habit of "warning people of the approach of venomous animals". [5]
There are fewer than 1,400 adults left in the wild, wildlife officials say.
Komodo dragons are native to Indonesia and weigh around 80 kilograms (176 pounds) on average. They eat almost any kind of meat and are known as deadly predators. The lizards are native to Indonesia.
The Varanidae are a family of lizards in the superfamily Varanoidea and order Anguimorpha.The family, a group of carnivorous and frugivorous lizards, [1] includes the living genus Varanus and a number of extinct genera more closely related to Varanus than to the earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus). [2]
The Komodo dragon is significantly slower, reaching speeds of just 5–6 m/s (16–20 ft/s), although that is enough for it to chase goats and deers, which it mostly preys on. [15] Being the largest true monitor, Megalania is yet slower, with its estimated top speed no more than 3 m/s (9.8 ft/s).
The Komodo Biosphere Reserve and National Park is situated between Flores and Sumbawa in Indonesia. It is renowned for its population of about 5,000 giant lizards, called 'Komodo dragons' (Varanus komodoensis). They exist nowhere else in the world and are of significant interest to scientists studying the theory of evolution. [1]