The Glorious Komodo Dragon
We all have our own special someone, who is somehow really contagious towards us. Ever since we know them, suddenly, whether we realize it or not, we started to like doing something we've never done before, or maybe eat something we don't like, just because these special people love to do that.
I had my special someone, once (he's still my special ones, tho). He loves animals so much, particularly fishes and giant lizards. And apparently, his love towards those reptiles has influenced me, who used to hate animal so much, to love and to care about these amazing creatures. And today, although I really hate to do this, I'm going to share a little part of him that dwells somewhere between my mind, which is one of his favorite creature, the Komodo Dragon.
As the dominant predators on the handful of islands they inhabit, they will eat almost anything, including carrion, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even large water buffalo and humans. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in bushes or tall grasses until a victim passes by. They pounce on their prey with powerful legs and sharp claws, then sink their jagged, sharklike teeth in.
An animal that escapes the jaws of a Komodo won't feel lucky for long. Dragon saliva contains large amounts of bacteria (50 strains), which poisons their victims, usually within 24 hours. Dragons will calmly follow their bitten prey for miles, using their keen sense of smell to find the corpse. They have huge appetites and have been known to eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in a single feeding.
Mating occurs between May and August, with eggs laid in September. Female Komodos lay their eggs from August to September and may use several types of locality; in one study, 60% laid their eggs in the nests of orange-footed scrubfowl (a moundbuilder or megapode), 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas. The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other dragons from eating the eggs.
Female Komodo dragons lay up to 30 eggs, which they will guard for several months. Babies are greenish with yellow and black bands but become solid gray to reddish-brown as they age. Young dragons will stay in the trees until they are about eight months old to avoid predators, which include larger dragons.
Did you know?
Bibliography :
I had my special someone, once (he's still my special ones, tho). He loves animals so much, particularly fishes and giant lizards. And apparently, his love towards those reptiles has influenced me, who used to hate animal so much, to love and to care about these amazing creatures. And today, although I really hate to do this, I'm going to share a little part of him that dwells somewhere between my mind, which is one of his favorite creature, the Komodo Dragon.
THE KOMODO DRAGON
Conservation Status : Vulnerable
Scientific Classification :
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Varanidae
Genus : Varanus
Subgenus : Varanus
Species : Varanus komodoensis
The Komodo Dragons, or also known as the Komodo monitors, are the biggest and heaviest living species lizard on Earth. Full grown adults can grow up to 10 meters long, and in rare cases, weigh up to 70 kilograms. They can be found only on Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. However, a dearth of egg-laying females,
poaching, human encroachment, and natural disasters have threaten the
species' population.
These giant reptiles actually have been around for millions of years, but humans have just started the research about this magnificent creature about a hundred years ago. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails. They also have a clumsy, back-and-forth walk, and their yellow tongues flick in and out constantly.
As the dominant predators on the handful of islands they inhabit, they will eat almost anything, including carrion, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even large water buffalo and humans. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in bushes or tall grasses until a victim passes by. They pounce on their prey with powerful legs and sharp claws, then sink their jagged, sharklike teeth in.
An animal that escapes the jaws of a Komodo won't feel lucky for long. Dragon saliva contains large amounts of bacteria (50 strains), which poisons their victims, usually within 24 hours. Dragons will calmly follow their bitten prey for miles, using their keen sense of smell to find the corpse. They have huge appetites and have been known to eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in a single feeding.
Mating occurs between May and August, with eggs laid in September. Female Komodos lay their eggs from August to September and may use several types of locality; in one study, 60% laid their eggs in the nests of orange-footed scrubfowl (a moundbuilder or megapode), 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas. The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other dragons from eating the eggs.
Female Komodo dragons lay up to 30 eggs, which they will guard for several months. Babies are greenish with yellow and black bands but become solid gray to reddish-brown as they age. Young dragons will stay in the trees until they are about eight months old to avoid predators, which include larger dragons.
Did you know?
- Komodo dragons can run up to 11 miles an hour in short burst.
- Komodo dragons can grow to nearly 10 feet long.
- The komodo dragon's spit is toxic, but prey usually die from being torn apart.
- In 2013, a 6.5-foot-long Komodo dragon wandered into a park office and bit two rangers.
Bibliography :
- http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/komodo-dragon/#komodo-dragon-head-on.jpg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/k/komodo-dragon/
Komentar
Posting Komentar