Do you believe in dragons? If not, be sure to read our article. Perhaps she will shake your confidence. Indeed, in fact, on the distant island of Komodo, there is such a large lizard that locals confidently call it a dragon. And not only local. The name "Komodo Dragon" is scientific, it is also used by professionals.
You will learn about how the world's largest lizards live, from our material.
History reference
These giants were first discovered in 1912 on Komodo Island. It’s easy to guess that this is what the big lizard is called.
Since then, these creatures have been the subject of scientific research. Scientists have established that the history of the evolution of this species is related to Australia. From the historical ancestor, the genus Varanus separated about 40 million years ago and emigrated to this distant continent. For a while, the giants lived in Australia and nearby islands. Later, for various reasons, the lizards were driven back to the islands of Indonesia, where they settled. Scientists suggest that this is due to a change in topography and seismic activity. Komodo Island itself, by the way, also has a volcanic origin. It is worth noting that the migration of bloodthirsty giants to the islands saved many representatives of the Australian fauna from complete extermination. The big lizard has mastered new territories and dominates there today.
Appearance
What size can a chest of drawers reach? It’s hard to imagine, but the Komodo dragon lizard is comparable in size to a young crocodile.
Scientists took measurements in a sample of 12 individuals and described their external features. The studied lizards reached a length of 2.25-2.6 meters, and their weight was 25-59 kilograms. But these figures are average. Several much more prominent cases have been recorded and described. The length of some lizards reaches 3 and even more meters, and the largest of the known specimens weighed more than one and a half centners.
The lizard skin is dark green, rough, often covered with small yellowish spots and leathery spikes. These animals have a powerful physique, strong short legs with sharp claws. Powerful jaws with large teeth at first sight give out a fierce predator in this beast. The picture is completed by a long and moving forked tongue.
View Features
Despite its impressive size and apparent slowness, the dragon lizard is an excellent swimmer, runner and climber. Komodo lizards climb trees perfectly, can even swim to the neighboring island, and not a single potential victim can escape at short distances from them.
Komodo lizard is not only an excellent tactician, but also a brilliant strategist. If this predator has its eyes on too large a prey, it can use not only brute force. The lizard knows how to wait, it is capable of lurking for weeks at a dying beast, anticipating the coming feast.
How dragons of our day live
The big lizard does not like the society of relatives and eschews them. Lizards lead a solitary lifestyle, and they only come into contact with their own kind during the mating season. These contacts are by no means limited to love joys. Males conduct bloody battles among themselves, disputing the rights to females and territories.
These predators lead a daily life, sleep at night, and hunt at dawn. Like other reptiles, Komodo monitor lizards are cold-blooded, they do not tolerate temperature extremes. And from the scorching sunlight are forced to hide in the shade.
Dragon birth
Many interesting facts about lizards are related to the continuation of the species. After a bloody battle, which often ends with the death of one of the fighters, the winner gets the right to start a family. These animals do not form permanent families; in a year the ritual will be repeated.
The chosen one of the winner lays about two dozen eggs. She guards the clutch for about eight months, so that small predators or even the next of kin do not pick eggs. But from birth, the dragon kids have no maternal affection. Hatching, they find themselves face to face with harsh island reality and at first survive only thanks to the ability to hide.
Differences between monitor lizards of different sex and age
Sexual demorphism in these creatures is not too pronounced. Large sizes are inherent in dragons of both sexes, however, males are somewhat larger and more massive than females.
A baby is born inconspicuous, which helps him hide from predators and hungry relatives. Growing, a large lizard acquires a saturated color. Young growth has bright spots on bright green skin, which fades with age.
Hunting
If you are attracted to interesting facts about lizards, this question requires the most careful study. Giant lizards do not have natural enemies on the islands; they can be safely called the top link in the food chain.
Lizards prey on almost all of their neighbors. They even attack buffaloes. Archaeologists, who established that several millennia ago the islands were inhabited by dwarf elephants, do not exclude that it was some species of large lizards, related to the modern Komodo lizard, that caused their complete extermination.
Giant lizards and carrion do not shun. They enjoy treating themselves to sea underwater inhabitants or corpses of land animals thrown out by the sea. Cannibalism is also common.
Modern giants lead a solitary lifestyle, but on the hunt they can spontaneously stray into bloodthirsty flocks. And where their powerful muscles, teeth and claws are powerless, they use more sophisticated weapons that deserve special attention.
Poison
The behavior features of these amazing creatures have been known for a long time. Scientists have found that monitor lizards sometimes bite a victim, and then roam after it without showing aggression. The unfortunate animal has no chance, it weakens and slowly dies. It was once believed that the cause of the rapid spread of a deadly infection is the pathogenic microflora that settles in the oral cavity of the monitor lizards while eating.
But recent studies have proven that this creature has poisonous glands. The poison of the monitor lizard is not as strong as that of some snakes; it cannot be killed instantly. The victim dies gradually.
By the way, here it is worth mentioning another record. Komodo lizard is not only the largest lizard in the world, but also the largest poisonous creature.
