Komodo dragon

Slasher hatched at National Zoo in 1992. In Zoo Atlanta’s Asian Forest, he enjoys an environment that resembles the Komodo dragon’s native Indonesian scrublands, with ample opportunities for one of his favorite activities – sunning.

Range and Habitat
Komodo dragons are found in grassy scrub areas and monsoon forests on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja and western Flores.

Physical Characteristics
Komodos are probably the only lizards that will attack prey larger than themselves. Males may reach 8 to 9 feet; females, 6 to 7 feet. Large Komodos weigh over 100 pounds. The largest ever recorded was over 10 feet long and weighed over 330 pounds.

Diet

• In the wild, hatchling lizards feed on geckos, later graduating to rodents, birds, other reptiles and carcasses left by adult dragons. Mature Komodos eat deer, pigs and birds. In rare instances, Komodos will kill water buffalo and, occasionally, their own species.

• It is widely believed that Komodos use oral bacteria to infect and slowly kill prey, but most prey actually die in minutes, thanks to a tenacious attack by serrated teeth. Although any bitten animal that is fortunate enough to escape is indeed likely to die later, it is not known to what extent (if any) Komodos use this as a strategy to obtain food.

Reproduction
Female Komodos lay 15 to 25 eggs, often burying them in the ground where the sun can warm the nest site. Nests are composed of decaying plant matter and provide warmth during the six-to-eight-month incubation period. In some instances, females use pre-existing nests made by medapodes, a bird species native to the area. Hatchling dragons grow about a foot per year in their first few years.

Life span
The average Komodo dragon’s life span is about 20 years.