Komodo Dragon - Jesse Granger: Bushranger

Dragons Walk Among Us

Now I know what you’re thinking. Dragons don’t exist! But that’s where you’re wrong. Dragons exist and they walk among us today. They might not be huge and fire-breathing and guarding a ton of gold but they’re out there. One such creature is known as the Komodo Dragon. Their name comes from people believing they had seen a dragon on the Indonesian island of Komodo. Despite these sightings, scientists in the west didn’t formally discover the creature until 1912. Read on to learn more!

WHAT A BRUTE!

Komodo dragons are massive! Males usually top out at around 9 feet long, weighing in at around 200 lbs, but some have been recorded as reaching ten feet long! Female komodo dragons are nothing to scoff at either with the average length being 6 feet. That makes them some of the world’s largest lizards! They’re so big and strong that they regularly take down big games such as pigs, deer, and water buffaloes as prey. Their eating habits also include devouring other komodo dragons and their hatchlings. No mercy! They’re also know to eat just about every part of the animal including hooves and bones. If they come after you, you’d better run fast. Komodo dragons can run up to 13 miles per hour!

I Need A Hero!

Knights have shining armor but it looks like dragons have armor of their own. A komodo dragon’s skin is made up of bony fragments called “osteoderms” that makes it incredibly hard to get a scratch on them (unless you’re also a Komodo dragon). When scientists were researching what a Komodo dragon could possibly need protection from, they discovered that the armor was mostly from protection from other Komodo dragons! Scientists believe that more fragments are added as the dragon grows up to protect it from other dragons who may want to fight them over food or mating situations.

A Killer Smile

Komodo dragons have a dangerous bite in more ways than one! First off, each dragon has 60 razor sharp teeth. Each tooth is serrated and razor sharp! These teeth can grow up to one inch long and, like a shark’s, they are constantly replaced when lost. They use these large, sharp, jagged teeth to rip huge chunks of flesh off of their prey when hunting. And if that doesn’t kill them, Komodo dragons have a secret weapon. VENOM. It was long believed that Komodo dragons harbored so much bacteria in their mouths that one bite from them would give prey a nasty infection which they would eventually die from. However, recent studies have shown that Komodo dragons actually have glands in their mouths that secrete venom when they bite!

IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable

The Komodo dragon is currently listed as VULNERABLE on the IUCN Red List. You can help protect these creatures by refusing to purchase any products made from their skin, teeth, or claws.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Komodo Dragons! Keep a sharp eye out for ways you can help in your community and as always, stay wild!