About Komodo

KOMODO DRAGON
( VARANUS KOMODOENSIS)

 

01. The origins

Komodo dragon are the largest lizard in the world. They are typed of monitor Lizart of Varanidae family. Komodo Dragon one of oldest living Lizard lived since 50 million years ago. Scientist believe that komodo dragon can live up to 50 year, may be more. It may have descended from the larger lizard from Java or Australia(Megalania Prisca) which existed 30 000 years ago. Some theory said dragon could be from Asia or autralia. One said that the dragon  island-hoped from jawa to Komodo. Another theory is that they swam from Australia to Timor until they reached Flores and Komodo.

02. basic facts.
Komodo dragon remain large, because there are no ather large predator to compete with. The largest recorded komodo dragon length is 3.33 m( 10 feed 2 inches) and measured weighed 165,9 kg (365 pounds) large dragon usully weigh up to90 kg. Actually female komodo dragon rarely grow over 2,5 m(7 feed 6 inches). It is hard to tell the difference between male and female dragon. However, males have special scale pattern at the base of their tail. Generally, male grow larger thanm female

When frightened, komodo dragon can run upto 18 km/h for a short distance. Usually, they run at slow trot of 8-10 km/h. komodo can swim at least 500 m. however, they become sluggish in the water because the water cools their body temperature down. The komodo dragon are constanly regulating theyr body temperature. In the early morning, they must warm up their boodies in the sun. if their temperature drop too low, the food in their stomach can rot nad cause regurgitationor even teath. However, the komodo dragons body temperature must not exceed 42 degrees celcius (108 degrees Fahrenheit.. when it is too hot, they must rest and seek shade to prevent their body from over heating. That’s why komodo dragon just lying there.

Actually they are most active from 6-10 am in the morning and again from 3-5 pm in the afternoon. During the rainy season, komodo dragon stay in burrows if they are too cold. In the night they sleep because it is usally too cool for them to be active. The komodo always sleep where they do not loose to much heat. They sleep at the edge of the savanna, and moosoon forest or in the burrows. The average sleeping burrows of rodents, palm civet, wild boar, and porcupine,  those made by other komodo. Nesting burrows are 2 m long.

03. Population
Komodo are about 3,300 in the park and in Flores.1,687 komodo dragons in Komodo island and 1,223 komodo dragon in Rinca island. For every female, there are about  three males. Males have more than females. Perhaps with a smsll percentage of females is a responose to keep the Komodo dragon population from growing too quickly.

04. Habitat
Komodo Dragons are only found in komodo, Rinca, Gily Motang island, on small part of north and west Flores. They are recently extinct in padar. Komodo dragon are thought to have lived over the larger area may have been forced out of other island due to human population pressure. As well the formation of the island are always changing over time. Maybe it is diffcullt for them to cross the water now  because of the strong currents. Dragon can be found in the monsoon foresst, in the Savana, on the beach, in the mongrove swamps and burrows. Sometimes the younger ones are found in the trees. The komodo Dragon range is mostly from sea level to 445m above sea level. Their location depends on their activity.

05. Reproduction
Female dragon start mating when they are 7 years old and male dragon start mating when they are 8 years old. The mating season of them is from juli to august.Female komodo dragon lay up to 30 eggs. The average number of eggs is 18 per cluch, one cluch per year.Females lay their eggs in the burrow, ofen they use the mound of the scrub fowl. The famale dragon digs several false tunnels so that predator can not find the eggs easily. The eggs incubate from 8-9 month. The eggs hatch in march-April. The average size of eggs are 8,6 cm long, with diameter of 5,9 cm and weight of 105 grams. The eggs are about the size of swam eggs. The shell are soft and leathery. The  average length when they are born is 30,4 cm but their size can vary from 28 cm to 55 cm. The average weight is 80,3 grams.

06. Juvenille Dragons
Do the komodo dragon take care of their young? No, the female dragon only guard their nest during the incubation period for about three month. The baby dragon must defend for themselves after they are born. The young dragon ussully eat other small lizards, eggs, rats,snakes, and insects that live in trees, stumps and logs. Young dragon up to two years old spend most of their time in trees  to protect themselves from being eaten by larger dragon. But dragon over 1,5 m long can not climb well, dragon two m are too heavy to climb trees.

07.  Senses
Komodo dragon can see reasonably well, but they rely more on smell tan sight. Also komodo can hear well, but they often ignore sound. Kmodo use their tongues to detect scents and smell, they use their tounues to pick up chemical particles in the air and ground then put them in theier jacobson’s organ located on the roof of their mouth. Jacobson’s organ are kind of ‘ super nose’. That’s why we see them always flick their tongues out. The dragon can detect scents up to 5 km away. Depending on the wind, they can smell up to 11 km away.

08. Hunting and feeding
Komodo dragons do not eat plants, they are carnivorous. The adult mainly prey on deer and wild boar nad sometime other komodo dragons. If they can, they will hunt water buffalo, palm civet, rats and birds.they also eat domestic animals like dogs, chicken and goats. Occasionally they eat snakas, sean turtle eggs and mongkeys. Komodo dragon prefer to animals which are already dead.(carrion). The way of komodo hunt; they usually attack slepping animals or wait on ambush. If they can not kill prey immediately they wiilo try to bite the animals in the leg or thoat. Later, they will follow and wait  for animal to weaken and die before they eat it. The Dragon’s saliva is not poisonous, but Dragon’s saliva is highly septic. There are over 60 types of bacteria in dragon’s saliva and at least one of them can cause cepticemia. After prey is bitten, it can take a day to a couple of weeks  to diae from blood-poising. Also dragons has a small sharp curved teeth for grasping and ripping. Komodo dragon can eat up to 80% of its body weight at one time. For example, researchers saw a 42 kg dragon eat a 30 kg boar in 17 minutes. Dragon eat almosat everything, only 8-13 % of carcass remains. The dragon eat when ever ther is an opprtunty. if there is no prey, they will saevenge. They can go with out eating for several weeks.dragon usully eat or kill about once a month. Kmodo dragons are droppings white due to uric acid.actually for all reptiles, event geckos, have this in ther dropping. Also dragons have droppings dry because that is waste products without water. The dragons body try to conserve water especially if water is not plentiful. Komodo dragons need to drink water too, but not often. They drink a lot when it is available. They drik very litte in the dry season from april to November. Dragon can get 70 % of their water requirement from their prey.

09. People and Dragon.
Deer poachers are the biggest threat for komodo dragons. Actually they have no natural predaror. The prey /predator balance must be maintained for the komodo dragons to survive. Before, komodo dragon were given feeding, but now no any more so hat they can resume their natural activities. By feeding the dragon, they were relying on human for their food. Although the dragon feeding have stopped but they still come to Banu Ngulang. It caused by the watering hole is interested to deer, boar, birds and thus dragon, some of same dragon which were wed in the past have claimed the area as their territory.

Komodo dragon are opportunistic scavengers. They always come to ranger station because of the smell of food. They are still wild animals and are not tame. Their behaviour is not unpredictable.

What do we do if a komodo dragon approaches?
The best things to do is to to get out of the way. If you run, the dragon may follow. The ranger also carry a stick to stop a dragon from approaching