Komodo Dragons, Ancient Creatures of Modern Times

Komodo Dragon or Varanus komodoensis is one of the ancient animals the still alive today in Indonesia precisely in Komodo Island Nusa Tenggara. Surrounding the “Komodo Island”, Komodo dragons can also be found in Rinca, Flores, Gili Montang and Padar. The Komodo dragon is a large species of lizard growing to a maximum of length 3 metres (9.8 ft) in rare cases and weighing up to around 70 kilograms (150 lb). Normally, they live in grasslands which are large in area and are open. Komodo dragon also lives in places which has low elevations for example tropical forests. According to the last record, Komodo dragons the still alive in there about 4000 to 5000. They are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

In the wild, an adult Komodo dragon usually weighs around 70 kilograms (150 lb), although captive specimens often weigh more. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 metres (10 ft 3 in) long and weighed 166 kilograms (370 lb), including undigested food. The Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, as well as about 60 frequently replaced serrated teeth that can measure up to 2.5 centimetres (1 in) in length. Its saliva is frequently blood-tinged, because its teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue that is naturally lacerated during feeding. This creates an ideal culture for the bacteria that live in its mouth. It also has a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue.

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