Komodo dragons quick facts
- The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard.
- Komodo dragons live on only six islands in Indonesia.
- A Komodo dragon can smell rotting meat from up to 4 km away.
- Its bite contains venom that stops blood from clotting.
- Baby Komodo dragons live in trees to stay safe from adults.
What is a Komodo dragon?
The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard alive today. It is a type of monitor lizard, part of a family of big lizards with strong legs, long necks and powerful tails.
Komodo dragons are not real dragons, of course. They cannot fly or breathe fire. But with their huge size, sharp teeth and long forked tongues, it is easy to see how they got their name. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says the yellow colour of the tongue reminds people of the dragons in old stories.
In the wild, they are found only on a few islands in Indonesia, in South-East Asia.
| Komodo dragon at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Length | 1.8 to 3 m (6 to 10 feet) |
| Weight | 70 to 136 kg (154 to 300 pounds) |
| Biggest on record | 3.13 m long and 166 kg |
| Home | six islands in Indonesia |
| Food | deer, pigs, water buffalo and carrion |
| Eggs | about 20 to 30 at a time |
| Lifespan | up to about 30 years in the wild |
| Status | Endangered |
How big is a Komodo dragon?
Komodo dragons are usually 1.8 to 3 m (6 to 10 feet) long, and males are bigger than females. Most weigh between 70 and 136 kg (154 to 300 pounds), which is about as heavy as one or two adults.
The longest one ever measured was 3.13 m (10.3 feet) long, and the heaviest weighed 166 kg (366 pounds).
Adults are brown, grey or reddish, with thick, scaly skin, strong legs and a long, muscular tail. Young Komodo dragons are more colourful, with bands and spots.
They have big heads and mouths full of sharp teeth. Britannica says the teeth are serrated, like the edge of a bread knife, and curve backwards, so it is hard for prey to pull free.
Where do Komodo dragons live?
Komodo dragons live on six islands in Indonesia: Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode and Padar. Together, the places where they live cover less than 900 square kilometres (350 square miles). That is a tiny home for such a big animal.
Komodo Island, which gave the dragon its name, is about 35 km (22 miles) long.
On these islands, Komodo dragons live in hot, dry grassland and tropical forest. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says they wander widely, from the beaches up to the tops of the hills.
What do Komodo dragons eat?
Komodo dragons are carnivores, which means they eat meat. They will eat almost any kind of meat they can find, from small rodents to huge water buffalo.
Adults eat deer, wild pigs, goats, monkeys and water buffalo, as well as snakes and fish. Deer are their most popular meal.
They also eat a lot of carrion, the bodies of animals that are already dead. In fact, Britannica says carrion is their main food.
Young dragons eat much smaller things, such as insects, eggs, geckos and other small lizards, snakes and birds.
A super sense of smell
A Komodo dragon’s best sense is smell. Like a snake, it flicks its long, forked tongue in and out to pick up smells from the air and the ground. The tongue passes these scents to a special organ in the roof of its mouth, which helps the dragon work out what it is smelling.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says a Komodo dragon can smell rotting meat from up to 4 km (2.5 miles) away. That helps it find carrion, and track down animals it has bitten.
How Komodo dragons hunt
Komodo dragons do not usually chase their prey over long distances. Instead, they rely on stealth and power. A dragon lies in wait beside a trail that animals use, sometimes for hours, until a deer or pig comes close.
Then it bursts out and attacks. Komodo dragons can move surprisingly fast in short bursts. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says they can briefly run at up to 20 km/h (13 mph).
Its bite is deadly. The bite contains venom that stops blood from clotting, so the wound keeps bleeding. Bacteria from the dragon’s mouth can also get into the wound. Scientists have found about 50 different kinds of bacteria in Komodo dragon spit, and a venom gland in the lower jaw.
Even if the prey escapes, it often becomes weak and dies within a few days. The dragon can then follow its smell to find it.
For a long time, people thought the germs in a Komodo dragon’s mouth were what killed its prey. Scientists now know that its bite also contains venom.
Big eaters
Komodo dragons tear off big chunks of meat and gulp them down. They can swallow small animals whole. The muscles of their jaws and throat let them gulp down huge chunks of meat astonishingly quickly.
An adult can eat up to 80% of its own body weight in a single meal. That would be like a 30 kg child eating 24 kg of food in one go! If a dragon with a full stomach is threatened, it can even throw up its meal, so that it is lighter and can run away.
Adults sometimes even eat smaller Komodo dragons. To stay safe, young dragons spend their early years living up in the trees, where the heavy adults cannot reach them. Young dragons also roll in droppings, which gives them a smell that adult dragons avoid.
Eggs and baby dragons
Komodo dragons mate between May and August. A female then lays about 20 to 30 eggs, either in a hole she digs on a hillside or in an old mound nest built by birds called megapodes. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo says the eggs take about nine months to hatch.
The babies are very small when they first hatch. Sources give their length as about 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 inches), and they weigh less than 100 g.
As soon as it hatches, a baby dragon scrambles up the nearest tree to hide from predators, including hungry adult dragons.
Komodo dragons grow slowly and can live for up to about 30 years in the wild.
Babies without a father
Komodo dragons have a surprising ability. Most babies have a mother and a father. But a female Komodo dragon living without any males can sometimes lay eggs that hatch without being fertilised.
This is called parthenogenesis, a long word that means “virgin birth”. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo was the first zoo outside Indonesia to hatch Komodo dragon eggs successfully. Parthenogenesis has happened in zoos too, where females kept on their own have surprised their keepers by producing healthy babies.
A Komodo dragon’s day
Like all reptiles, Komodo dragons cannot make their own body heat. They rely on the sun to warm them up, so in the morning they lie in the sunshine until they are warm enough to be active.
When the middle of the day gets too hot, they escape the heat by resting in burrows. They also shelter in burrows at night, when the air cools down.
Because they save so much energy by resting, and can eat so much at once, a Komodo dragon does not need to eat every day.
Are Komodo dragons dangerous?
Yes, Komodo dragons can be dangerous to people. Britannica says they have occasionally attacked and killed humans, although attacks are rare.
People who visit the islands to see the dragons go with trained guides and keep a safe distance.
Are Komodo dragons endangered?
Komodo dragons are an endangered species. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance says their numbers fell from about 5,000 in 1981 to about 3,500 in 2021, a drop of 30% in 40 years. After that, the IUCN changed their status to Endangered.
Because they live on only a few small islands, anything that harms their habitat or their food can quickly affect them.
The good news is that many people travel to see Komodo dragons in the wild. Britannica says this interest has helped encourage their protection.
Three things people get wrong
Komodo dragons do not breathe fire. They are real lizards, not dragons from stories.
Komodo dragons do not live in Australia. They are found only on a few islands in Indonesia.
A Komodo bite is not only dangerous because of germs. It also contains venom that stops blood from clotting.
Did you know? A female Komodo dragon kept away from males can sometimes lay eggs that hatch without a father. This is called parthenogenesis.
Try it
Measure 3 metres along the floor with a tape measure. That is how long the biggest Komodo dragons grow, from nose to tail.
Knowledge check
How does a Komodo dragon smell its food?
Show answer
By flicking its forked tongue in and out to pick up smells.
Why do baby Komodo dragons live in trees?
Show answer
To stay safe from predators, including adult Komodo dragons.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Komodo dragons live?
Komodo dragons live only on six islands in Indonesia: Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, Nusa Kode and Padar. They live in grassland and tropical forest.
How big do Komodo dragons get?
Komodo dragons are usually 1.8 to 3 m long and weigh 70 to 136 kg. The biggest ever measured was 3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg.
What do Komodo dragons eat?
Komodo dragons eat meat, including deer, wild pigs and water buffalo, as well as carrion. Young dragons eat insects, eggs, small lizards, snakes and birds.
Are Komodo dragons venomous?
Yes. A Komodo dragon’s bite contains venom that stops blood from clotting. Bacteria from its mouth can also infect the wound, and bitten prey often dies within days.
How long do Komodo dragons live?
Komodo dragons can live for up to about 30 years in the wild. They grow slowly, and their eggs take about nine months to hatch.
Are Komodo dragons endangered?
Yes. Their numbers fell from about 5,000 in 1981 to about 3,500 in 2021, and the IUCN now lists the Komodo dragon as Endangered.
Sources
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Komodo dragon — size, the six islands, diet, tongue, eggs, hatchlings in trees, lifespan and population decline
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo: Komodo dragon — size records, range, habitat, diet, hunting, venom, sense of smell, eggs, incubation and lifespan
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Komodo dragon — monitor lizard family, teeth, carrion diet, ambush hunting, venom, cannibalism, attacks on people, parthenogenesis and ecotourism
