Komodo Dragon| last dragons left in the word| biggest lizard in the world| Komodo kills humans| Komodo's saliva contains venom
One must be very
fascinated by the thought of the existence of dragons flying around in the sky blowing
out fire describing its glory and supremacy in the skies. Being the ultimate
predator back in the days millions of years ago when there was none a match for
a dragon. This majestic creature has been mentioned in several mythological
books and scripts especially in the Chinese and Japanese culture.
Although dragons have become a story of the past and one can
only imagine their appearance and glory through scribings and paintings on the ancient structures but
there is still a creature in the animal kingdom in the world existing today
which may not be able to fly like dragons but still is called as the last
dragons left on the planet. This is non-other than the “Komodo Dragon”.
Komodo Dragon or “ Varanus komodoensis ” is the largest living lizard in the
world and one of the biggest reptiles in the world. It is a breed of the
monitor lizard out of the 3000 species of lizard which is capable of hunting
down prey 3-4 times its own size and eats up to an extent that there is no sign
left of the prey. Its ancestors date back to 100 million years ago until it was
discovered and studied by scientists in 1912.
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| Komodo Dragon Image Source- Google | Image by - Flickr |
These are considered dragons because of their fork like
yellow colour long tongue which resembles dragons that spitted out fire. Their
long muscular body with sharp claws and running speeds gave them the
title of “ Dragons of Komodo island”.
Size and characteristics
Komodo dragon can
reach up to a size of whopping 10 feet but in general, males reach a size of
8 to 9 feet while the female reaches a size of 6 feet. These dragons have a thick
skin which is covered by bone-like structure known as osteoderms which makes
them look like from the dinosaur family. These have long muscular body and a
very powerful tail which in Komodo community is used to show dominance.
| Image by - publicdomainpictures.net |
These come in different dark colours which are mainly grey or orange and have really sharp claws.
Komodo Dragons have one of the finest vision in the animal kingdom which can
target prey from 300 feet of distance but the unique feature of the Komodo dragon
is its smelling capability. It can smell and track out prey from a very large distance because
it has a unique fork-like tongue just like a snake that can sense the prey
even in dark nights.
Komodo Dragon can reach up to speeds of 20 kph which may not
seem to very fast but probably is one of the fastest in reptile world. These
mostly attack by the element of surprise and depend on their venomous bite.
Habitat and diet
Komodo Dragons are very rare as these are found mostly in Indonesia on
five islands of which four are in protected “Komodo National Park” which are
Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang, Gili Dasami, along with the island of Flores which is outside
Komodo National Park. Most of these islands are from the volcanic origin comprising
both of rugged and hilly areas with both
dense tropical forest along with the grasslands landscape.
Komodo Dragon have been present in the region since their origin
and are today found only in these protected area which is probably the smallest
endemic region of a large predator in the world. It is estimated that over 5500individuals are present in the wild which has increased from previous years and
these are declared endangered and protected in “Komodo National Park”.
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Komodo Dragons favourite prey is Timur Deer which is a
native deer of the island but Komodos also do hunt Water Buffalos and Wild
boars which are not the native of the island and were introduced by the people.Komodo
Dragons can eat anything that fits in their mouth whether it be snakes, reptile,
rodents , etc and usually swallow and gulp its prey like snakes and hence there
is no sign of the prey left, not even bones and hairs.
These have very
efficient digestive fluids in their stomach that can digest even the bones of
the prey and Komodo Dragons in general do not hunt for days after eating. These
are ambush predators that use the element of surprise to grab and bite the prey
and then with their keen sense of smell follow the prey for days till it is
paralyzed or dead by the venom inflicting bite of Komodo Dragon.
Does the saliva of Komodo Dragon contain venom?
The bite of the Komodo Dragons is its main weapon while
hunting down its prey. A recent study has shown that the saliva of Komodo Dragon
contains bacteria that interfere with the blood of the prey inhibiting the
blood to clot. Excessive bleeding and uncontrolled flow of blood cause
paralysis and death of the prey which is eaten over by the Komodo Dragon.
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These
are patient ambush predators which when got the opportunity to grab and bite
its prey whether it be a deer or a buffalo, these through their bite inject
venom containing saliva in the body of the prey which releases harmful bacteria
and hence causes the death or paralysis of the prey which in some cases is also
eaten alive by Komodo dragons.
Can a Komodo Dragon kill humans?
While there have been many cases of attack of Komodo Dragons
on humans in the past but in general these attacks are very rare. Till date, thousands of unofficial attacks have taken place according to the local tribes
but some attacks happened which attracted attention worldwide.
In general
Komodo Dragons are peaceful with humans but when the killing of people began , things
changed drastically. Since 2007 two people have been killed one boy and one
fisherman while in other cases people have been badly injured.
Most of the
attacks are caused because of excessive illegal hunting of Komodo’s Prey which
is wild buffalo, deer, and wild boar which makes Komodo Dragons hungry and
aggressive towards humans.
There was a recent case in which the Komodo Dragon
entered a wooden hut in Komodo National Park and was hiding beneath a table
when an forest ranger came and was bit by the Dragon. As per the victim, the
Komodo Dragon was huge which grabbed his hand tightly and bit him very hard
with strong and powerful jaws.
Komodo Dragon| last dragons left in the word| biggest lizard in the world| Komodo kills humans| Komodo's saliva contains venom