Komodo Dragons, the Incredible Creatures on Earth
Komodo Dragons are incredibly the biggest lizard in the world. Komodo, or Varanus komodoensis, is endemic to Komodo Island and a few neighboring islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia.
Physical Appearance
They weigh an average 300 pounds and can grow up to 10 feet long. Even so, they are incredibly fast, and can outrun many animals and definitely humans! They can run up to 20 km per hour! They’re also fantastic swimmers and climbers – a victim of the Komodo Dragon doesn’t really have anywhere to escape.
Did you know that the Komodo Dragons will feast on anything that moves? This includes humans. When full, they appear docile, slow and lazy. Their long, flat heads, rounded snouts and bowed legs may add to this, but don’t let their appearance fool you. They also have thick scaly skin, sharp claws and a powerful tail that can bring down any prey.
Venomous
Besides of their strength and speed, the Komodo Dragon is also incredibly venomous. A single bite can render a victim helpless in minutes – even if it escapes the jaws of the dragons, the venom will travel through the bloodstream pretty quickly, prevent clotting and induce shock.
Endangered Species
This Indonesian endemic world’s largest lizard Komodo Dragons recently entered the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list of “Endangered” species, marking it as having high risk of extinction. It says that there are fewer than 1,400 adult dragons left in the world.
According to the IUCN, the Komodo Dragons are threatened by the impact of climate change and that in the next 45 years, the rising of global temperature and subsequent sea levels will reduce more than 30% of the ancient lizard’s habitat in Komodo National Park.
The other reasons are due to habitat destruction from development and natural disasters, loss of large prey (such as deer) from widespread hunting and illegal hunting of the lizards themselves.
Find them in Bali
Good news come from Bali Safari Park as 16 babies Komodo Dragons were successfully hatched for the first time in the island. They are hatching naturally in the park without any aid from incubators or any tools on March 1st, 2022. This marks the high dedication and commitment of Bali Safari Park as a conservation institution in Bali.
Komodo Dragons is only one of many animals that need to be protected and conserved in this world. Let’s conserve those incredible creatures so our next generations can still see them in the wild. Click here for more conservation program and news!