The Komodo dragon isn't really a dragon, it's a type of Indonesian lizard.
Komodo Dragon Table of Contents
All About The Komodo Dragon
Komodo dragons come from Indonesia and are the world's largest lizards, part of the monitor lizard family. They can be anywhere from six to ten feet long and weighing about 150 lbs. when full-grown. They don't have any predators larger than they are in their native environment.Komodo dragons are one of the type of lizards that can reproduce by parthenogenisis, which means if you only have female lizards and no males, the female's body will change slightly, allowing her to fertilize her own eggs so that the species can survive. If you've seen the movie Jurassic Park, this was the same way that an island of all female dinosaurs began breeding.
What do Komodo Dragons eat?
Komodo dragons are carnivores and eat deer, wild pigs and birds. They also will eat carrion, which means they will eat dead animals that they find too.
Books and More on Komodo Dragons
Komodo Dragon Facts
- These lizards are the world's largest!
- They have been known to attack humans on occasion.
- Komodo dragons are good swimmers.
- Their metabolisms are so slow, they might only eat a dozen times in a whole year!
See What Komodo Dragons Look Like
Strange But True!
When actress Sharon Stone was married to the newspaper publisher Phil Bronstein, she arranged for them to get a private tour at the San Francisco Zoo. When they saw the komodo dragon, it ran over and bit Phil's big toe! He had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency stitches... yikes!
Learn About Komodo Dragons
- Woodland Park Zoo presents The Komodo Dragon
- Komodo dragons are also known as Komodo monitors, or by the local Indonesian name, "ora."
- Komodo Dragon Central - All about Komodo Dragons
- Comprehensive Komodo dragons web guide and directory. Movies, pictures, stuffed animals, everything!
- Komodo Dragon Printout- EnchantedLearning.com
- Komodo Dragon printout. The Komodo Dragon is the world's biggest lizard.
- Komodo Dragon
- Komodo dragons are the world's heaviest living lizards. They can grow to a length of 10 feet (over 3 meters), with an average length of 8 feet (2.5 meters) and weight of 200 lbs (91 kg.). Females are usually under 8 feet and weigh about 150 lbs. (68 kg.).
- VANISHING IN THE WILD: THE KOMODO DRAGON
- The Komodo dragon, or komodo monitor lizard, is thought to be the source of Chinese legends of great scaly man-eating monsters, the dragons that are still featured prominently in Chinese folklore and religion.
- Komodo Dragons and Their Islands
- Komodo dragons are the world's largest lizards. They live on the islands of Komodo, Rinca and other tiny surrounding islands, and on the westernmost part of Flores Island in Indonesia. Komodo is west of Flores, east of Sumbawa, and north of Sumba.
More About Komodo Dragons
Komodo Dragon
Price: $4.95
An introduction to the physical characteristics and behavior of the komodo dragon, the largest lizard on earth. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For pe... more »
On the Trail of the Komodo Dragon
Price: $17.95
Questions about nine of kids' favorite animals are answered by a Highlights for Children columnist, such as Do horses sleep standing up? and How does... more »
Curse of the Komodo (DVD)
Price: $9.98
On a remote tropical island, genetic experiments have transformed fierce komodo dragons into giant, human-hunting monsters intent on destroying everyt... more »
