Some recent research suggests that Komodo dragons might also be venomous due to some of the properties of components in their saliva. Whether they are venomous or not is subject to interpretation at this time; it is too early to make this conclusion until more research is done. On the smaller islands of Gili Motang and Gili Dasami, within Komodo National Park, the Komodo dragons were discovered to be notably smaller than those found on the nearby islands of Rinca and Flores.
Genetically these dragons were found to be related to those on neighboring islands, so what could account for the discrepancy is size? Gili Motang, for example, is not as high in elevation as Rinca and Komodo, lacks a cloud forest at its peak, and has a much drier climate than does neighboring Rinca and Flores. In fact, fresh water has not been observed on Gili Motang. Furthermore, the density and number of Timor deer was found to be much lower as well on both of these islands.
It is believed that the dragons on these islands are merely adapting to a reduced food supply by decreasing body size in response to a decreased availability of food.
The Komodo dragons on these islands are quite wary, and it is thought that cannibalism is a greater threat to young dragons here than on the larger islands. Like many reptiles, the number of Komodo dragon females that nest every year often changes , due to the availability of prey and the physical condition of the female. Female dragons do not breed every year. Female dragons use three different nest types for their eggs: hillside nests, ground nests, and mound nests built by the orange-footed scrub fowl.
Females often dig decoy nest chambers to discourage predators, including male Komodos and other female dragons, from disturbing existing nests sites when digging their own nests. The orange-footed scrub fowl builds nests made of leaves and debris, forming a natural incubator from the heat produced from the decomposing leaves.
One study indicated that female Komodo dragons showed a marked preference for selecting mound nests over hillside and ground nests. Komodo dragons begin their life in an egg the size of a grapefruit. The female lays between 15 and 30 eggs and guards her nest and eggs for the first few months. Life for a young dragon is not easy. Fortunately for the babies, the adults are too heavy and clumsy to climb trees.
Youngsters live in the trees eating anything that fits into their mouth: eggs, grasshoppers, beetles, and geckos. However, their primary diet is the Tokay gecko, an aggressive lizard itself with an unmistakably loud call! The young dragons find them most often in the hollows of tree trunks where the geckos nest and shelter.
Dragon saliva contains large amounts of bacteria, which poisons their victims, usually within 24 hours. Dragons will calmly follow their bitten prey for miles, using their keen sense of smell to find the corpse. They have huge appetites and have been known to eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in a single feeding. Female Komodo dragons lay up to 30 eggs, which they will guard for several months. Babies are greenish with yellow and black bands but become solid gray to reddish-brown as they age.
Young dragons will stay in the trees until they are about eight months old to avoid predators, which include larger dragons. All rights reserved. Personality Quizzes. A study of nesting loggerhead female sea turtles in southwest Florida used genotyping to uncover how many fathers were represented in their These bones cover the dragons from head to tail, creating a 'chain mail' that protects the giant predators.
ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the TrendMD network and earns revenue from third-party advertisers, where indicated. Print Email Share. Boy or Girl? Living Well. View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences, or browse the topics below:. Keyword: Search. These wild dragons typically weigh about pounds 70 kilograms , but the largest verified specimen reached a length of Males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females.
Komodo dragons are limited to a few Indonesian islands of the Lesser Sunda group, including Rintja, Padar and Flores, and of course the island of Komodo, the largest at 22 miles 35 kilometers long. They have not been seen on the island of Padar since the s. They live in tropical savanna forests but range widely over the islands, from beach to ridge top.
Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat, scavenging for carcasses or stalking animals that range in size from small rodents to large water buffalo. Young feed primarily on small lizards and insects, as well as snakes and birds. If they live to be 5 years old, they move onto larger prey, such as rodents, monkeys, goats, wild boars and deer the most popular meal.
These reptiles are tertiary predators at the top of their food chain and are also cannibalistic. 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. It can spend hours in one spot along a game trail — waiting for a deer or other sizable and nutritious prey to cross its path — before launching an attack. Most of the monitor's attempts at bringing down prey are unsuccessful. However, if it is able to bite its prey, bacteria and venom in its saliva will kill the prey within a few days.
After the animal dies, which can take up to four days, the Komodo uses its powerful sense of smell to locate the body. A kill is often shared between many Komodo dragons. Monitors can see objects as far away as feet meters , so vision does play a role in hunting, especially as their eyes are better at picking up movement than at discerning stationary objects.
Their retinas possess only cones, so they may be able to distinguish color but have poor vision in dim light. They have a much smaller hearing range than humans and, as a result, cannot hear sounds like low-pitched voices or high-pitched screams. The Komodo dragon's sense of smell is its primary food detector. It uses its long, yellow, forked tongue to sample the air. It then moves the forked tip of its tongue to the roof of its mouth, where it makes contact with the Jacobson's organs.
These chemical analyzers "smell" prey, such as a deer, by recognizing airborne molecules. If the concentration of molecules present on the left tip of the tongue is greater than that sample from the right, the Komodo dragon knows that the deer is approaching from the left.
This system, along with an undulatory walk, in which the head swings from side to side, helps the dragon sense the existence and direction of food. At times, these reptiles can smell carrion, or rotting flesh, up to 2. This lizard's large, curved and serrated teeth are its deadliest weapon, tearing flesh with efficiency. The tooth serrations hold bits of meat from its most recent meal, and this protein-rich residue supports large numbers of bacteria.
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