Komodo Dragons Essay, Research Paper
On Komodo island you can find some of the largest lizards in the world. This is how the lizard got its name. Komodo is west of Flores, east of Sumbawa, and North of Sumba. Most people get to these islands by boat. If you are rich you can get there by a helicopter and get permission to land on the presidents landing pad. Komodo dragons can also be found on the island of Rinca and other small surrounding islands. These islands are not what you usually think of when you think of a jungle island. These islands are dry, hot, rocky, and desert-like. On the island is a zoo called Komodo National Park. This is where tourists from all over come to see the dragon. Visitors would find baby lizards in trees, hiding from their parents and other adult dragons who would most likely eat them for a meal. Visitors will find the parents in deep burrows. This is also where the adult lizards nest their eggs. Walking through the park you might see a sign that says, Dangerous area, watch out. Komodo crossing. Be silent. The park rangers don t want any humans to get hurt or even killed. These dragons are known to attack and even kill humans. The dragon s mating seasons are May and August. The males outnumber the females four to one so the males have to fight to win a female. Once a female is pregnant. she will dig her burrow with her powerful claws. Then in September, the female will bury fifteen to thirty eggs in the burrow. It takes eight to nine months before the baby Komodo dragon is born. When the baby is born, it weights about 100 grams and weight about four centimeters long. Right after they are born, the baby dragons run up into to a tree where they will live for one year. During that year they live on insects, bird eggs and small lizards. When they reach one meter in length, they come down from the tree. The Komodo dragons have a very large appetite. They also drool constantly. Their drool is full of bacteria and when they bite something it gets infected. This is how Komodo dragons get their food. They hide and wait for deer or goat to pass by . The dragon attacks and kills it on the spot or waits until the bacteria from the bite kills it. The dragons spend most of their day roaming in search of food. The dragons use their sharp claws, jagged teeth, and sense of smell to help them survive. You will often see the dragon flicking his long yellow tongue in the air tasting it for signs of food.
The dragons eat together so visitors will often see many of them around one carcass. First, they slash the stomach and intestines. The young dragons roll around in the fecal matter to hide their scent from older Komodo dragons who will attack and kill them during feeding time. The oldest dragon eats until it s full, followed by the other Komodo dragons according to their size. The dragons will eat the entire animal, even the head, fur, hooves, and bones. After they eat, the dragons are slow and approachable, while their food is converted into fat energy and stored in their tails.The Komodo dragon dates back over one hundred million years. Most dragons live to be over fifty years old. They reach their full body weight after fifteen years, with the males being larger than the females The largest male dragon was 3.13 meters long, and the largest female dragon measured 2.5 meters long. The dragon can eat up to eighty percent of its own body weight. The Komodo dragon is usually very slow but sometimes is capable of running as fast as a dog. These dragons are also excellent swimmers and can swim from one island to another. Komodo dragons are the worlds largest lizards. The number of Komodo dragons has decreased over the years. The main reason is because they are carnivores and eat each other for food. By living in the Komodo National Park, the Komodo dragons still have a fighting chance.