Although Varanus komodoensis can see 300 meters away and can hear a restricted range of sound, its sense of smell is its primary method for detecting food and the tip of its tongue is its primary scent detector. Males communicate dominance in mating and feeding order by wrestling in upright positions. Females give off a scent in their feces to communicate that they are ready to mate and the male replies by rubbing his chin on her and licking her body.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Komodo dragons are currently classified as endangered throughout their range. This status is the result of a combination of prey depletion, poaching, and habitat encroachment by humans.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: appendix i
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable
Varanus komodoensis hatches from eggs. Young Komodo dragons live in trees to avoid falling prey to older members of the species. They are also much smaller and more sinuous than the adults, allowing them to live in trees. At 8 months, they grow too large to be arboreal, alter their diet, and become terrestrial.
Varanus komodoensis individuals have been known to attack and kill humans in a few rare occurrences. They also have attacked and harmed livestock in the area.
Negative Impacts: injures humans
Komodo dragons are an important ecotourism draw. Scientists are also conducting studies on how they are able have strains of lethal bacteria living in their saliva without being affected by them.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism ; research and education
Varanus komodoensis is a top predator in its habitat and one of the largest animals present in the area. It is also a scavenger that eats recently dead animals and removes them from the landscape.
A normal adult Komodo dragon diet consists mainly of carrion, but it is not uncommon for them to attack and eat a variety of large prey, including goats, pigs, deer, wild boar, horses, water buffalo, and smaller Komodo dragons. Komodo dragons hunt larger prey by ambushing them and delivering a bite. They then follow the injured animal until they succumb to either blood loss or infection. The saliva of Komodo dragons is rich in bacteria that rapidly leads to infection in their prey. A recent discovery of venom in the bites of Varanus species implies that venoms may be used in subduing prey also, although specific research on Komodo dragon venom action has not been completed. Juveniles feed on grasshoppers, beetles, small geckos, eggs, birds, and eventually small mammals. Varanus komodoensis is able to swallow large pieces of food by expanding its throat and its flexible skull. They eat most of their prey, leaving very little to be wasted.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; reptiles; eggs; carrion ; insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates, Scavenger )
Varanus komodoensis is found only in the lesser Sunda region of the Indonesian archipelago, including the islands of Komodo, Flores, Rinca, and Padar.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Adult Komodo dragons live mainly in tropical savannah forests. They prefer open lowland areas with tall grasses and bushes, but are also found in other habitats, such as beaches, ridge tops, and dry riverbeds. Young Komodo dragons are arboreal and live in forested regions until they are eight months old.
Range elevation: 0 to 820 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
Although many Varanus komodoensis individuals fall prey to other animals as hatchlings, ones that live to adulthood usually have a lifespan of around 50 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 50 years.
Average lifespan
Sex: female
Status: captivity: 8.9 years.
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards, reaching 165 kg and greater than three meters in length. Juveniles are green with yellow and black bands. Adults dull and uniform in color, from brown to grayish red. Their robust bodies are uniformly covered in rough scales. They have strong limbs and a powerful, muscular tail. The heads of Komodo dragons have a rounded snout and ear openings. Their skulls are flexible and have sharp, serrated teeth. Although males tend to grow larger, there are no obvious morphological differences between the sexes.
Range mass: 165 (high) kg.
Range length: 3.1 (high) m.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Adult Komodo dragons are at the top of their food chain and do not have any predators. Juveniles often fall prey to adults, larger mammals, and birds. They avoid predation by being arboreal until they become larger.
Males engage in a ritual combat to mate with females. They wrestle in an upright position to try to throw the loser to the ground, often drawing blood. When ready to mate, females give off a scent in their feces that males can detect. Male Komodo dragons then locate the female, rub their chin on her head, scratch her back, and lick her body. If the female exhibits interest, she licks him back. He then grasps her with his claws, lifts her tail with his, and mates with her. After mating, some males will stay with the female for a few days to prevent other males from mating with her.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
The mating season of Varanus komodoensis occurs yearly in July and August. Females lay up to thirty eggs about a month later (September) to avoid the hot summer months and allow a chance for a second mating. The eggs are buried in the earth and take about 8 months to hatch. Hatchlings are about 37 centimeters long and have a high mortality rate, frequently falling prey to adults and other species. As a result, they move to nearby trees as soon as they are able. It is estimated that females reach sexual maturity after 9 years and males reach it after 10 years.
Breeding interval: Varanus komodoensis breeds once yearly, but females will often mate more than once to ensure that their eggs are fertilized.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs from July to September.
Range number of offspring: 30 (high) .
Average gestation period: 8 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 9 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 10 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; oviparous
Average birth mass: 100 g.
Average gestation period: 49 days.
Average number of offspring: 22.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 1825 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 1825 days.
Female Komodo dragons dig a nest chamber in the ground for their eggs and cover it with earth and leaves. They then lie on the nest while the eggs are incubating, but there is no evidence of any parental care once the eggs hatch.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female)
