the largest
living lizard, found on several islands in
Indonesia, that can grow to lengths of ten feet (three meters) and can weigh as much as 300
pounds (136 kg). It gets its name from its habitat, the island of Komodo in
Indonesia and from its resemblance to
legendary dragons. A fierce scavenger and predator, an excellent swimmer (it loves seafood), capable of
running quickly for
short distances, it feeds mainly on other animals such as small
deer and wild pigs. The Komodo dragon, however, can
eat prey as large as a 1,000-
pound (454 kg) water buffalo and, unlike most large predators, it will
eat humans too. Like other lizards it can unhinge its lower jaw to swallow pieces of food larger than its head. It has long razor-
sharp, curved claws, and jagged (
saw-like), curved,
needle-
sharp teeth which
prevent prey from escaping and which aid in
tearing meat. Its mouth contains poisonous
bacteria and, preferring aged
meat, it will often
bite its prey just to injure it,
track it down days later after it has died of poison and
eat the
dead carcass. The Komodo Dragon is under the protection of the Indonesian
government as an endangered species because the animals it preys on are overhunted by humans.
a large, flesh-eating lizard of certain Indonesian islands east of
Java, that grows to a length of 10 feet; the largest lizard in the
world.