There is no other creature in the world that is like the one of a kind Komodo dragon! Read on to learn about this magnificent animal!
Can Komodo dragons swim? Komodo dragons are known as talented swimmers! These reptiles will travel from one island to another by swimming. Komodo dragons have been known to be able to swim up to 1,000 feet at a time! They may also swim in order to escape from other Komodo dragons and they can dive and swim underwater as well, which helps them elude their predators.
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Do Komodo dragons live by a lot of water?
Komodo dragons can only be found on five different islands in southeastern Indonesia. They can be found on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang, Gili Dasami, and Flores.
This is the perfect place for these reptiles to live because they enjoy hot, humid weather, and these islands often reach a temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit during the day with up to 70% humidity.
Since these creatures live on islands, they are surrounded by water! None of these islands are that big – for example, the island of Komodo is about 150 square miles, making it smaller than the total square mileage of New York City! Gili Montang is even smaller – this island has a total landmass of only 12 square miles!
These islands are not all water though! All of these islands were made from volcanoes and they are covered in rocky hills, forests, and grasslands.
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Where do Komodo dragons live on these islands?
All of these islands, except for Flores, are part of the Komodo National Park, and within this park, these giant lizards are able to roam freely. Komodo dragons make burrows that they use to stay warm at night or to cool down during the day.
Are Komodo dragons actually dragons?
They are not dragons, but they are the largest lizards in the world! These lizards can grow up to ten feet long, which is about as long as a small car. On average, these lizards weigh about 150 pounds, but the largest Komodo dragon weighed nearly 300 pounds! That is one big lizard!
The reason they are called “dragons” is that there were rumors that there was a dragon-like creature on the island of Komodo. No Western scientist had laid eyes on a komodo dragon until 1912. Since the largest amount of these lizards can be found on the island of Komodo, they were given the name of the island.
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Are Komodo dragons endangered?
Komodo dragons are listed as endangered, but they are also a protected species, which means that it is against the law to harm these lizards. There are only about 5,700 komodo dragons left in the wild.
The main reasons that this animal is endangered is because of illegal hunting and from losing their homelands to human settlement. Additionally, since the population is so small and they have a limited natural habitat, they are more at risk of problems such as storms, forest fires, or disease. It is also a concern that there are only about 350 breeding females left in the wild, which makes it concerning for the future of the species.
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What do Komodo dragons eat?
Komodo dragons are meat eaters and they will eat both live animals and scavengers for animal carcasses. Young Komodo dragons eat small animals such as small lizards, snakes, and birds. Older komodo dragons eat larger animals such as deer, boars, goats, monkeys, and even water buffalo.
These lizards are at the top of the
Are Komodo dragons poisonous?
Komodo dragons do have a venomous bite that they use to kill their prey. Their venom can even kill a person in only a matter of hours. Komodos have razor-sharp teeth which makes them dangerous as well. But instances in which a komodo dragon attacks a human is rare, but they have been known to attack without being provoked.
Some people get a false sense of security from these lizards because they will see them calmly relaxing under a tree, but they are actually pretty fast and very str