The Life of Animals | Komodo dragon | Komodo dragon, or a full-called Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), is the world's largest lizard species that live on the island of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami in Nusa Tenggara. Lizard by the natives of Komodo island is also called by local names ora. Including family members Varanidae monitor lizards, and Toxicofera klad, dragons are the largest lizards in the world, with an average length of 2-3 m. Large size is associated with symptoms of island gigantism, the tendency for body certain animals that live on a small island linked to the absence of mammalian carnivores on the island where dragons live, and the metabolic rate of small dragons.
Because of her size, these lizards occupy the position of a top predator that dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo discovered by western researchers in 1910. He was a great and terrible reputation makes them popular in zoos. Dragons in the wild habitat has been shrinking due to human activity and therefore incorporate dragons IUCN as a species vulnerable to extinction. This large lizard is now protected under Indonesian law and a national park, the Komodo National Park, established to protect them.
In the wild, adult Komodo dragon usually has a mass of about 70 kilograms, but the dragons kept in captivity often have a greater body weight. The biggest wild specimens ever has a length of 3:13 m and weighing about 166 kilograms, including the weight of the undigested food in his stomach. Although listed as the largest lizard the Komodo dragon is still alive, but not the longest. This reputation is held by the Papua monitor lizard (Varanus salvadorii). Komodo has the same tail length with his body, and about 60 sharp teeth are serrated along approximately 2.5 cm, which is often replaced.
Komodo dragon saliva is often mixed with a bit of blood because her teeth almost completely covered by gingival tissue and the tissue is torn during the meal. This condition creates an ideal environment for the growth of deadly bacteria that live in their mouths. Komodo has a long tongue, yellow and forked. Komodo dragons males larger than females, with skin color from dark gray to brick red, while females are more colorful dragons green olives, and a small piece of yellow on the throat. Young Komodo dragons more colorful, with yellow, green and white on a black background.
Komodo has no sense of hearing, despite having the ear hole. These lizards are able to see as far as 300 m, but because the retina has only cone cells, these animals do not seem so good to see at night. Komodo dragons are able to distinguish colors, but are not able to distinguish how an immovable object. Komodo uses his tongue to detect taste and smell stimuli, like other reptiles, the vomeronasal sensory organs utilizing Jacobson, an ability that can help navigate in the dark.
With the help of the wind and the habit of tilting his head to the right and left when walking, dragons can detect the presence of carrion as far as 4-9.5 kilometers. Komodo dragon's nostrils is not a good tool of smell because they do not have the midriff. These animals have no sense of taste on his tongue, there are few nerve endings of taste in the back of the throat.
Komodo dragon scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, has a sensor that is connected to nerves that facilitate excitatory touch. Scales around the ears, lips, chin and foot stimulation have three or more sensors. Komodo once considered deaf when studies find that the whisper, the voice rising and shouting did not result in agitation (noise) in the wild dragons. This was later refuted when employees ZSL London Zoo, Joan Proctor trained lizards to come out to eat with his voice, even when he is not seen by the lizards.
Komodo dragons are naturally found only in Indonesia, on Komodo, Flores and Rinca and several other islands in Nusa Tenggara. Live in dry open grasslands, savannas and tropical forests at low altitude, this lizard likes it hot and dry place. They are active during the day, although sometimes also active at night. Komodo dragons are solitary animals, gathered together only at meals and breed.
These large reptiles can sprint up to 20 kilometers per hour at short distances; swim very well and can dive as deep as 4.5 meters, and also good at climbing trees using their powerful claws. To catch prey that are beyond its reach, the Komodo dragon may stand on its hind legs and uses its tail as a support. With increasing age, more dragons using his claws as weapons, because of his large size made it difficult to climb trees.
For shelter, dragons dig holes 1-3 meters wide with front legs and strong claws. Because of her size and habit of sleeping in the hole, the Komodo dragon can maintain body heat during the night and reduce the time sunbathing on the next morning. Komodo dragons are generally hunt at noon until late afternoon, but still take shelter during the hottest part of the day. These places are usually hidden dragons in the area of dunes and hills with the sea breeze, is open from vegetation, and here and there scattered dung inhabitants. This place is generally also a strategic location to ambush deer.
