All About Komodo

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a species of lizard that lives in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rincah, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami. It is the largest living kind of lizard. They grow to an average length of 2–3 meters (approximately 6.5–10 ft) and weigh around 70kg (154 pounds). Komodo dragon bites can be very dangerous, and they sometimes attack people.

Western scientists first saw Komodo dragons in 1910. They are very popular animals in zoos because they are very big and look scary. The lizards are in some danger. There are very few Komodo dragons still alive on their home islands. Indonesian law does not allow hunting these lizards. Komodo National Park was made to help protect Komodo dragons.

The Komodo dragon has other names. It can also be called the Komodo Monitor or the Komodo Island Monitor by some scientists, but this is not very common. The people who live in Komodo Island call them ora, buaja durat (land crocodile) or biawak raksasa (giant monitor).

The Komodo dragon is cold-blooded. It has a tail as long as its body. It has about 60 sharp teeth that can grow up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long. It also has a long, yellow, forked tongue. Its saliva is red because its gums almost completely cover its teeth. When they eat, their teeth cut their gums and make them bleed. This creates a good environment for the dangerous bacteria that live in its mouth. Saliva

Komodo dragons have dangerous bacteria in their saliva. Scientists have identified 57 of them. One of the most dangerous bacteria in Komodo dragon saliva appears to be a kind of Pasteurella multocida. These bacteria cause disease in the blood of their victim. If a bite does not kill an animal and it escapes, it will usually die within a week from infection. The Komodo dragon seems to never get sick from its own bacteria. So, researchers have been looking for the lizard's antibacterial. This may be used as medicine for humans.

In zoos

*A Komodo dragon at Smithsonian National Zoological Park.

Komodo dragons have been popular in zoos for a long time. However, there are few of them in zoos because they may become sick and do not have babies easily. As of May 2009, there are 13 European, 2 African, 35 North American, 1 Singaporean, and 2 Australian institutions that keep Komodo dragons.

A Komodo dragon was shown in a zoo for the first time in 1934 at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. But, it lived for only two years. People continued to try to keep Komodo dragons in zoos, but the lives of these creatures was very short. The average life of a dragon in a zoo was five years in the National Zoological Park. Walter Auffenberg studied the dragons in zoos and eventually helped zoos to keep dragons more successfully

Danger to humans

Komodo dragons do not attack human very often. However, they do sometimes hurt or kill people.
In June 2001, a Komodo dragon seriously hurt Phil Bronstein—executive editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. Bronstein had entered the dragon's cage at the Los Angeles Zoo after being invited in by its keeper. The zoo keeper had told him to take off his white shoes, which could have excited the Komodo dragon. Bronstein was bitten on his bare foot. Although he escaped, he needed surgery to repair his foot.

And you can watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mzUdp74nWWA