Animals & Nature
Komodo Dragon
The Komodo dragon is the world's largest living lizard, a powerful predator found naturally on a few Indonesian islands.
The Komodo dragon is the largest living species of lizard. It inhabits tropical forest, grassland, and scrubland on a small group of Indonesian islands. Adults have sturdy limbs, strong necks, long tails, sharp teeth, and forked tongues used to gather chemical information from the air.
Komodo dragons hunt animals including deer, wild pigs, and smaller reptiles, and they also eat carrion. Their bites combine cutting teeth with venom that interferes with blood clotting. Young dragons spend substantial time in trees, partly helping them avoid being eaten by larger members of their own species.
Quick facts
- Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards.
- Their natural range is limited to several Indonesian islands, including Komodo and Flores.
- They use forked tongues and a strong sense of smell to locate food.
- Komodo dragons have sharp, serrated teeth and a venomous bite.
- Young Komodo dragons often live in trees where they are less accessible to large adults.
A surprising fact
An adult Komodo dragon can consume food equal to about eighty percent of its own body weight in one meal.