First of all, it should be known that there are many huge reptiles that are famous for their size and strength, and in this article we will highlight one of the largest lizards in the world, which is called the Komodo dragon.
The most important information related to the Komodo dragon
The following is the most important information related to the Komodo dragon: [1] Name of the animal: Komodo dragon (in English: Komodo dragons). Scientific name: Varanus komodoensis. Family: reptiles. Spreading places around the world: It is located on Komodo Island, and some of the neighboring islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.
Morphological characteristics of the Komodo dragon
The Komodo dragon is the largest and heaviest lizard in the world, with an average size of a male Komodo dragon 3 meters, and a weight of approximately 90 kilograms, and females growing to 1.8 meters. In fact, the color of the Komodo dragon comes in a variety of colors, including blue, orange, It is characterized by its coarse and permanent skin and is reinforced with bony plates called osteoderms, in addition to having long claws and a large muscular tail. [2]
Komodo dragon feeding
The Komodo dragon is a predator and a carnivore, as it can eat everything in its path, including deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even a large water buffalo. It uses its sharp claws and serrated, shark-like teeth to extract the guts of its prey.[3]
Home of the Komodo dragon
The adult Komodo dragon lives mainly in tropical savannah forests, as it prefers open lowland areas with tall grasses and shrubs, but it is also found in other environments, such as beaches, hilltops, and dry river basins. It is worth noting that the young Komodo dragon is arboreal and lives in forest areas until He is eight months old.[4]
Komodo dragon breeding mating season
The Komodo dragon breeds once a year and the mating season is in the months of July and August, and when it is ready to mate, the female Komodo dragons emit an odor present in their feces for the males to follow, then the male Komodo dragon locates the female, but after mating some males will stay with the female for a few days to prevent other males from mating with her.[4]
The number of eggs and their hatching
Females lay up to 30 eggs after about a month, to avoid the hot summer months and provide an opportunity to mate again, and the eggs are buried in the ground and hatching takes about 8 months, but there is a high mortality rate, because they often fall prey to adults and other species, as a result they are They move to nearby trees as soon as they are able to.[4]
age of sexual maturity
Females reach sexual maturity after 9 years, and in return males reach it after 10 years, [4] It is worth noting that when there are no males around females, they have other means of reproduction; The reason for this is that they possess male and female sex chromosomes, and therefore female dragons can reproduce through a process called parthenogenesis. [3]