Until
recently, KomodoDragons were believed to hunt with a "bite and wait" strategy -
using toxic bacteria in their saliva to weaken or kill their prey before
descending in numbers to feast.
But recent
research found that the dragons' jaws have highly sophisticated poison glands
that can cause paralysis, spasms and shock through hemorrhaging.
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| Komodo Dragon Indonesia |
They are
native to several Indonesian islands and are considered a vulnerable species,
with only a few thousand left in the world. Their normal diet consists of large
mammals, reptiles and birds.
Komodos,
the world's largest monitor lizards, can grow up to three meters and typically
weigh to 70 kilograms.
Earlier
this month one attacked two park employees, leaving them hospitalized with
serious injuries.
In that
attack, a 50-year-old park ranger was sitting at his desk at the Rinca island
front office, where tourists usually check in, when the two-meter-long lizard
sneaked into his room.
Another employee,
aged 35, heard the ranger scream and quickly ran to his aid but the lizard also
attacked him too, biting his leg.
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis),
also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large species of lizard found in
the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. A member
of the monitor lizard family (Varanidae), it is the largest living species of
lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres (10 ft) in rare cases and
weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms (150 lb).
Their unusually large size has been attributed to island
gigantism, since no other carnivorous animals fill the niche on the islands
where they live. However, recent research suggests the large size of Komodo
dragons may be better understood as representative of a relict population of
very large varanid lizards that once lived across Indonesia and Australia, most
of which, along with other mega fauna, died out after the Pleistocene. Fossils very
similar to V. komodoensis have been found in Australia dating to greater
than 3.8 million years ago, and its body size remained stable on Flores, one of
the handful of Indonesian islands where it is currently found, over the last
900,000 years, "a time marked by major faunal turnovers, extinction of the
island's mega fauna, and the arrival of early hominids by 880 ka."
As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the
ecosystems in which they live Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey
including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have
a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several
different toxic proteins, however, the biological significance of these is
disputed. Their group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world.
The diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of deer, though they also eat
considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans
in the area of West Manggarai Regency where they live in Indonesia.
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| Komodo tours |
Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are
laid in September. About 20 eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode nests or
in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months,
hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are
vulnerable and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic
adults. They take about eight to 9 years to mature, and are estimated to live
up to 30 years.
Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists
in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo
exhibits. In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and
they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian
law, and a national park, Komodo National Park,was founded to aid protection
efforts.
Mega tours as Flores leading tour operator and travel company in Indonesia, offer many of kind tours to Komodo national park discover Komodo
Dragons, wild life, snorkeling or diving. Get your best trip to see Komodo
Dragons and wild life at Komodo national park, should be made a reservation to
keep schedule of boat, hotel and other component that you are going to be used.
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