Komodo dragons diet

Reaching up to 10 feet in length and more than pounds, Komodo dragons are the walmart tires good lizards on Earth. They have long, komodo dragons diet, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails. Komodo dragons have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia's Komodo dragons diet Sunda Islands for millions of years. Though these athletic reptiles can walk up to seven miles per daythey prefer to stay close to home—rarely venturing far from the valleys in which they hatched.

Komodo dragons are large lizards with long tails, strong and agile necks, and sturdy limbs. Their tongues are yellow and forked. Adults are an almost-uniform stone color with distinct, large scales, while juveniles may display a more vibrant color and pattern. The muscles of the Komodo's jaws and throat allow it to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge opens the lower jaw unusually wide. The stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals. When threatened, Komodos can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lessen their weight in order to flee.

Komodo dragons diet

The Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis , also known as the Komodo monitor , is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo , Rinca , Flores , and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant species of lizard , growing to a maximum length of 3 m 9. As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators , and dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates , birds, and mammals. Komodo dragons' group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa Rusa timorensis , though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans. Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September; as many as 20 eggs are deposited at a time in an abandoned megapode nest or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and dwell in trees to avoid predators, such as cannibalistic adults. They take 8 to 9 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years. Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and is likely to contract further from the effects of climate change ; due to this, they are listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Komodo dragons were first documented by Europeans in , when rumors of a "land crocodile" reached Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek of the Dutch colonial administration.

When it comes to love, leave it to the beavers! Mackessy ed. The Komodo's bite may be deadly, but not to another Komodo dragon.

Komodo dragons have inspired myths and legends for centuries. We take a look at the fearsome predator. The Komodo dragon is the world's largest living lizard and is endemic to Indonesia, in the World Heritage-listed Komodo National Park and neighbouring Flores, where it is an apex predator. It is a member of the monitor lizard family. Closely related to the water monitor, Komodo dragons are an impressive size: adults can be 3m long with a powerful tail and weigh 70kg. The dragon has what would appear to be the perfect tools for predation: 60 serrated, shark-like teeth.

The Zoo is free to visit, but entry passes are required for all guests, including infants. Komodo dragons are large lizards with long tails, strong and agile necks, and sturdy limbs. Their tongues are yellow and forked. Adults are an almost-uniform stone color with distinct, large scales, while juveniles may display a more vibrant color and pattern. The muscles of the Komodo's jaws and throat allow it to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge opens the lower jaw unusually wide. The stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals.

Komodo dragons diet

The Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis , also known as the Komodo monitor , is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo , Rinca , Flores , and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant species of lizard , growing to a maximum length of 3 m 9. As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators , and dominate the ecosystems in which they live.

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San Diego Zoo Global Zoo All of this led to the Indonesian government considering completely closing Komodo Island as a conservation strategy for habitat recovery. National Geographic. Their top speed is 11 mph and adults overheat quickly. Photography How to photograph a total solar eclipse. Additionally, these osteoderms become more extensive and variable in shape as the Komodo dragon ages, ossifying more extensively as the lizard grows. Cannibal animals: 10 creatures that eat their own kind. Dragons bite down with serrated teeth and pull back with powerful neck muscles, resulting in huge gaping wounds. They have also been known to use their tails to knock down large deer and pigs. A Komodo dragon photographed at Houston Zoo in Texas. They have a much smaller hearing range than humans and, as a result, cannot hear sounds like low-pitched voices or high-pitched screams. Here's why. Although the Komodo dragon can briefly reach speeds of 10 to 13 mph 16 to 20 kph , its hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. Archived from the original on 11 March Rather than pursue prey, Komodos scavenge, lie in ambush in tall grass or shrubs next to trails, or slowly sneak up on their prey.

Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis : the largest living lizard in the world. Komodo dragons are the largest living lizard in the world, of over 3, lizard species. Females measure up to 6 feet in length and males measure up to 10 feet in length.

As with other varanids, Komodo dragons have only a single ear bone, the stapes , for transferring vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. Komodo dragons have good mouth hygiene. Climate change poses a major risk for the natural habitat of komodo dragons in the future. Older animals will also retreat from humans from a shorter distance away. June Blood is often drawn, and the loser either runs away or remains prone and motionless. Size: 10 feet. Retrieved 15 January Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. But tourists are also important to conservation efforts, as the economic boost they provide incentives to locals to help protect the Komodo dragon. Most of the monitor's attempts at bringing down prey are unsuccessful. Princeton, N.