Monitor lizards. The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard

The Komodo dragon is one of the largest lizards in the world, belonging to the Varanidae family, order Scaly. In terms of size, it is comparable only to crocodiles, although it has no relationship with them. They live naturally on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Flores. Locals call this reptile the “Komodo Dragon”, “Land Crocodile”. According to research data, Australia is considered its historical homeland. Gradually he migrated to neighboring islands.

Monitor lizard: description, characteristics

There is no reliable information about the origin of the Komodo dragon. Only it was classified as an animal fossil. The approximate time when dragons appeared on Earth is 5–10 million years ago. This is due to the fact that paleontologists The remains of the first representative of this species were found in the ancient layers of the Australian Peninsula. It is unclear how he managed to move to another territory.

Appearance of a Komodo dragon

The size of these predatory reptiles is truly impressive. Wild komodo dragon in adulthood weighs about 75–90 kg at medium length 2.5–2.6 m. Males are much larger than females. According to statistical data Weight Limit females - 68–70 kg, with a length of 2.3 m. In an artificial habitat, the animal can reach more impressive dimensions. One such example is the pet of the zoo in St. Louis: weighing 166 kg, with a body length of 3.14 m.

Today the population large monitor lizards is declining, which is associated with degradation. And the reason for this is the poor nutritional diet in places natural habitat and mass poaching.

They have a squat, dense build with muscular limbs. The location on the sides and long claws contribute to convenient hunting and fast movement. Also, such paws are convenient for tearing out deep holes. They have a large tail, often comparable in size to the body. Unlike lizards, they do not throw it off when in danger, but begin to hit it to the sides. The head is flat, on a short massive neck. Looking at it from the front or in profile, associations with a snake appear.

The skin consists of two layers: scaly- basic, with the overlay of small ossified growths. Young representatives are more bright color. Orange-yellowish spotting is observed along the entire outer length, ending with stripes on the neck and tail. In a mature state, the skin is transformed, repainted in a gray-brown color with small yellow speckles.

The teeth are like peaks, sharp and long, one side attached to the jaw bones. This is an ideal device for tearing prey apart. The tongue is very long, sinuous, with a fork at the end.

Where does the monitor lizard live and behavior in the wild?

Today, populations of monitor lizards are inhabited in five Indonesian regions. islands: Komodo, Gili Motang, Rindja, Padan and Flores. Selects land that is well heated sun rays: savannas, plains, tropical forested areas. On hot days it moves closer to the water, with shady thickets.

The Komodo dragon is not used to grouping with its fellows and leads a separate life. They group only during the mating season or in search of food. Even then, they are constantly in compromise. They are active only during the daytime, and at night they sleep soundly in shelters, although there are exceptions to the rule.

Row features monitor lizards:

The bite of a monitor lizard can become tragic. This is caused by the presence in saliva of a large accumulation of diaphoretic bacteria that cause blood poisoning. It is believed that this is due to eating carrion. Recently discovered in oral cavity animal poisonous glands. If they enter the human bloodstream, they can cause: dizziness, loss of consciousness, muscle paralysis.

In captivity, monitor lizards live much shorter, no more than 25 years. But in the wild areola - 35–60 years.

Lizard nutrition

Varan is the king and god in his domain, as he is able to cope with all large game. He does not give in to a gecko or a boa constrictor, but is not averse to feasting on small representatives. There are frequent cases of attacks by him: on horses, cows, buffaloes, deer, sheep. There were eyewitnesses who claimed that the predator easily coped with a mammal weighing 1200 kg. First, it bites through the tendons, immobilizing the victim, and then gradually begins to eat.

During dry periods he fasts, but during rainy periods he eats everything. This species has signs of cannibalism. This is especially evident when shortage food. Large individuals eat small fellows. He does not even disdain the remains washed ashore.

How does it reproduce

The mating season for monitor lizards begins in winter, during the dry period. Since the number of males predominates, there is a competitive struggle for each female. The fighters go at each other like a wall, standing on hind legs. They make a grab with their front ones. The strongest throws the opponent onto his back and begins to scratch him intensely. The defeated one has to retreat in disgrace. And the winner leaves with the female to mate.

It's pretty passionate lovers which, at the moment of intimacy, begin to rub against their partner’s head and scratch their back and tail. He must be on top. This is how he shows his superiority. After fertilized The lizard leaves to look for a place to lay eggs. Usually these are weed nests, foliage, compost heaps. Having dug a deep hole, it lays up to 20–25 eggs there, each weighing up to 200 g. After 8 months, the babies hatch. And all this time the mother serves as reliable protection. To avoid eating their young, lizards climb to the top of the tree. There they stay for the first 2 years, until the monitor lizards grow up.

In addition to sexual fertilization, they are characterized by parthenogenesis. Postponed unfertilized eggs from which only males hatch.

Predators do not pose a potential danger to an adult. However, there have been recorded cases of attacks by lizards when, due to some signs, they were confused with prey. Let's introduce some notable precedents, taking place:

• The bite of a Komodo dragon is not only painful and traumatic, but also causes toxic defeat blood. Without timely medical care leads to death.
• During dry and hungry seasons, lizards become more aggressive. They are not afraid to approach human habitation; they are attracted by the smell food waste. In this state they can attack small children. Even local burials become a source of food for them. Therefore, the inhabitants of the islands began to cover the dead with stone slabs.
• There have been cases when giants attacked groups of tourists. With their keen sense of smell, they could smell blood from a great distance.
• In moments of danger, they can empty the esophagus with lightning speed. This gives them mobility.

Due to the fact that these predatory reptiles are protected, killing them is prohibited. To get rid of aggressors, specially trained huntsmen conduct individual catches. Then the lizards are resettled in other, sparsely populated regions of the islands.

Today there are only a few large reptiles left on Earth, the most terrible of which is the Komodo dragon, living in. Cold-blooded and not very smart, this predator, however, has a chilling sense of purpose,” this is how the famous astrophysicist Carl Sagan described Komodo dragons.

THE DISCOVERER OF THE KOMODO DIANA

The plane's engine sneezed and worked intermittently; fortunately, an island appeared right ahead, and the Dutch pilot Hendrik Van Bosse did everything possible to reach the saving land. The plane literally plowed a small beach on its belly and stuck its nose into dense vegetation tropical forest. The pilot hurriedly got out of the cockpit and, limping, ran away from the plane, and half-dressed natives were already hurrying towards him, shouting excitedly. I will disappoint the most bloodthirsty readers: the pilot was not eaten, he was very cordially received by the inhabitants of the small island of Komodo, part of the Sunda archipelago.

The mountainous islet, 30 km long and 20 km wide, was covered tropical forest, which, according to local residents, was home to “buayadarat,” or “earth crocodiles.” According to them, crocodiles reached 6-7 meters in length and calmly hunted deer and even attacked buffalo. During one of the walks, the pilot himself was able to verify the veracity of their stories, when the “log” lying in front of him suddenly came to life, rose on four powerful legs and waddled away into the dense bushes.

According to another version of the development of events, the pilot did not meet anyone after the plane crash and lived as Robinson for almost a year in a remote part of the island. He had with him firearms, so he did not starve, but he could not get used to the presence of living “dragons” on the island. Fearing that these creatures would eat him alive, he slept in the trees. The long-awaited ship still did not arrive, and he, like the hero of the popular film “Cast Away,” made a desperate decision to embark on a risky voyage on the raft he had built. After a 57-day voyage full of hardships and dangers, the exhausted pilot reached the island of Timor.

When Hendrik Van Bosse found himself in Europe, literally only a few believed his stories about the huge Komodo dragons, and these were his closest relatives and friends. For some time, Komodo dragons became a real curse for Van Bosse; mocking articles were written about him, they called him a liar, and they said that he had lost his mind as a result of the plane crash. Finally, one English officer, who ventured to hunt dinosaurs in the footsteps of the “crazy pilot,” discovered to his great surprise that he was telling the truth.

With the discovery of living “dragons,” the torment of their discoverer Hendrik Van Bosse ended; now no one called him a liar or crazy, but months of persecution were not in vain for him. It is curious that Van Bosse retired from aviation and devoted the rest of his life to studying Komodo lizards. He died in 1938. On his grave there is an inscription: “Hendrick Arthur Maria Van Bosse, aviator - from an irrepressible thirst for knowledge; lone sailor - due to misfortune; the discoverer of Komodo monitor lizards - also due to misfortune; zoologist, doctor natural sciences- as a result of deception, so as not to be considered a deceiver.”

SENSATION IN ZOOLOGY OF THE XX CENTURY

Komodo dragons turned out to be a large, previously unknown variety of monitor lizard. The discovery of Komodo dragons has become one of the biggest discoveries in zoology of the early 20th century. Alas, Chinese hunters and traders immediately flocked to the island: the cult of the dragon flourishes, and various potions made from “dragon bones” have always been in demand there and were highly valued. The skins of Komodo dragons and medicines made from their fat and bones were in great demand.

Scientists got down to business, in 1938 on the islands (in addition to Komodo monitors discovered on the neighboring islands - Rindja, Flores, Padar, Oveda, Sami and Gili Motang) created a reserve, in this moment"varanya" islands have the status national park. In 2013, the total number of monitor lizards was estimated at 3,222 individuals; in 2015, it decreased to 3,014 individuals, but in principle it remains quite stable. Alas, monitor lizards have become extinct on Padar; it is believed that this was due to the extermination of other animals on the island by poachers; the “dragons” were simply left without prey and died of starvation.

FORMID AND VORONIOUS PREDATOR

When they first arrived in Komodo, scientists did not find the 7-meter monitor lizards that local residents talked about, but 3-3.5-meter animals weighing from 130 to 160 kg were encountered quite often. Komodo dragons have attacked pigs, goats, and deer. They, of course, were not able to catch up with them; the monitor lizards simply slowly crept up, often freezing in the most absurd poses, towards the grazing animals, and then knocked them down with a powerful throw or a strong blow of their tail. There is a known case when a Komodo dragon managed to kill a powerful Indian buffalo weighing 500 kg.

The monitor lizard usually grabs the prey it catches with its mouth by the head or neck, then it makes a sharp movement, shaking the victim with such force that it breaks its vertebrae. First thing predatory reptile he rips open the belly of a killed animal and eats its entrails with pleasure, only after that he begins to eat the skin, meat and bones. Scientists timed it and found that a Komodo dragon can completely eat a 20-kilogram pig in 30 minutes. In a matter of hours, 3-4 adult monitor lizards ate a large deer weighing 100 kg.

This speed of food absorption is not surprising, because monitor lizards have 26 powerful sharp teeth 4 cm long, and they are also capable of swallowing impressive pieces of meat. The scientists were greatly surprised when in the opened stomach of one of the reptiles they saw... half a wild boar. It is amazing that when eating a deer, monitor lizards even eat its horns and hooves. Young monitor lizards usually only fuss around their feasting parents; Scientists believe that under a hot hand (sorry, paw!), large individuals may well bite their smaller relatives.

Monitor lizards do not disdain carrion, bird eggs and even insects. Sometimes a monitor lizard bursts into a flock of monkeys that have descended from a tree and, taking advantage of the fact that the poor macaques are literally numb from shock, grabs one of them and literally swallows it alive. Monitor lizards often wander along the coast, looking for carrion thrown up by the waves. They are good swimmers and can cover considerable distances in the water, steering their tail like a rudder.

Our expedition also visited Komodo in the early 60s. This is how I. Darevsky, by the way, the largest Soviet herpetologist, very colorfully described the meeting of scientists with the Komodo dragon: “A monitor lizard calmly emerged from the thickets and, not paying any attention to us, leisurely wandered along the path after the wild boars. At the same time, he did not drag his body along the ground, like many other lizards, but held it on outstretched paws, high above the ground. This sight completely shocked us: illuminated by the evening sun, the huge lizard looked like a prehistoric monster, somewhat reminiscent of a giant dinosaur that had long disappeared from Earth. A snake-like head with black shiny eyes and gaping ear sockets, large hanging folds of orange-brown skin on the neck gave the animal a frightening and somehow fairy-tale appearance.”

Female monitor lizards lay up to 25 eggs, the size of which reaches a length of up to 10 centimeters. Until the hatching of the small monitor lizards, the female guards the clutch. When babies are born, they immediately climb trees to avoid being eaten by their taller relatives. The lifespan of Komodo dragons is about 50-60 years; in zoos it is halved. They live in deep burrows or in crevices among rocks. Young monitor lizards often use tree hollows as shelter.

"DRAGONS" AND PEOPLE

It is believed that Komodo dragons are not dangerous to humans, but such an opinion cannot be considered unambiguous. There was a case when a monitor lizard attacked children and as a result one boy died. In another case, a man was wounded because he did not share the deer he had shot with a monitor lizard. Scientists view these incidents as unfortunate accidents. In the first case, the monitor lizard could have mistaken the child for a large monkey, and in the second, he was misled by the smell of a deer.

The last victim of Komodo dragons was a Swiss naturalist in 1978. He had long dreamed of seeing these exotic reptiles and specially went to Indonesia to look at monitor lizards and get acquainted with their habits and life. During his stay on the island, the naturalist fell behind the group, apparently deciding to engage in independent research. Nobody saw him again. The searches undertaken yielded practically nothing; only the naturalist’s glasses and camera were found. Without a doubt, this man was eaten by monitor lizards. After this tragic incident, the rangers now do not leave tourists, scientists, or journalists arriving on the island for a moment.

Monitor lizards have an excellent sense of smell, they find graves and, if they are shallow, tear them up and eat the corpses, this, of course, causes great discontent among local residents. True, in last years the graves began to be covered with massive slabs and their destruction by monitor lizards stopped. The sense of smell helps monitor lizards find carrion on the shore or a wounded animal at a very considerable distance.

Tourists with minor wounds and scratches and even women on so-called difficult days can arouse increased interest in monitor lizards and provoke their attack.

Monitor lizard bites are very dangerous. Due to the fact that they feed on carrion, their mouths contain a mass of pathogenic microbes, a reptile bite can result in blood poisoning, loss of a limb, or death. In addition, scientists have established the presence of a poisonous gland in monitor lizards. It turns out that they are also poisonous. That is why these reptiles should not be considered safe. At the same time, monitor lizards in zoos usually do not cause any complaints from staff; they are obedient, peaceful and not picky about food.

Komodo Island is located in the very center of the Indonesian archipelago. This is the habitat of unique and most large lizards in the world - Komodo dragons.

We are in Indonesia. Komodo Island is relatively small, its area is about 390 sq. km. Almost its entire territory is occupied by National Park Komodo, created in 1980 to protect Komodo dragons. The coastline seems to be indented with rocky capes, clearly of volcanic origin:

The nature here is unique. Almost the entire territory is covered by arid savannah.

You can get here from the island of Bali using the following tourist equipment:

In general, Komodo is an island often visited by cruise ships from all over the world:

You need to come here because of this unique miracle of nature - the Komodo dragon! This terrifying, deadly dangerous monitor lizard lives on the island. This is his home.

So, Komodo dragons are giant lizards, reaching a length of 3 meters and weighing up to 150 kg! The natural lifespan of monitor lizards in the wild is probably around 50 years.

Handsome. Komodo dragons feed on a wide variety of animals. Their victims are fish, sea ​​turtles, wild boars, buffalos, deer and reptiles. Also, repeated cases of attacks on people have been recorded.

At first glance, these lizards seem very clumsy and unhurried. However, when running over short distances, the monitor lizard can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. They hunt relatively large prey from ambush, sometimes knocking the victim down with blows of his powerful tail, often breaking its legs in the process.

Monitor lizards are at the top of the island's food chain. And this is their prey - a deer:

Reptiles do not have poisonous teeth, but their bite is most often fatal. Having tracked a deer, wild boar or other large prey in the bushes, the monitor lizard attacks and tries to inflict a laceration on the animal, into which many bacteria from the oral cavity are introduced. As a result of such an attack, the victim experiences blood poisoning, the animal gradually weakens and dies after some time. The dragons of Komodo Island can only follow the victim and wait for her to die.

Tourists and monitor lizards are not separated by a fence with barbed wire, or any ditch, or anything to inspire confidence in safety. Groups of tourists are usually accompanied by rangers armed with long poles with forked ends to defend against possible dragon attacks.

As shelters, monitor lizards use holes 1-5 meters long, which they dig with their powerful paws and claws.

Komodo dragons are less dangerous to people than crocodiles or sharks. However, the number of deaths due to untimely provision medical care after bites (and, as a result, blood poisoning) reaches 99%!

To reach food at a height, the monitor lizard can stand on its hind legs, using its tail as a support. Komodo dragons are good climbers and spend a lot of time in trees.

About 1,700 monitor lizards live on Komodo Island. On the neighboring island of Rinca there are about 1,200 individuals. According to scientists, Australia should be considered the homeland of Komodo dragons.

Cannibalism is common among Komodo dragons: adult lizards often eat smaller individuals. Therefore, as soon as the cubs are born, they immediately instinctively climb a tree, looking for shelter there.

The Komodo dragon is the largest reptile of the living lizards belonging to the Scaly order and directly related to the Varanidae family.

This species of lizard can reach more than three meters in length; can you imagine a reptile longer than an ordinary small car? To be honest, it’s a bit difficult for us :-).

The world first learned about them in 1912, and before that time, local residents neighboring the island of Komodo, where these huge lizards currently live, called them terrestrial.

Sharp claws on its powerful paws and an elastic 1.5 tail make the victim tremble at the mere sight of this ruthless and ferocious predator.

Unlike its fellow giant, the Komodo lizard is much larger, stronger and more cunning. Females of this species are slightly smaller than males. The length of an adult male can reach up to 3 meters, but these are rare specimens, usually the average size is no more than 2.6 meters.

The weight of an average male does not exceed 95 kg, the weight of a female is 78 kg. The largest male with a body length of up to three meters can weigh up to 147 kg, but we must take into account the fact that he could have had a good lunch before weighing, so the real weight will be when we subtract 17-20 kg from the total weight.

The body color of the island giant is dark rusty with amber spots mixed with specks. Young animals are slightly lighter in color, have reddish-orange spots on their ridges, and they reluctantly merge into thin stripes on the neck and tail.

On the front and rear edges of its teeth, which are laterally compressed, have serrated and cutting edges. This form of teeth helps him pull out big pieces meat from a dead carcass.

The long forked tongue plays the most important role in search of food. He is able to recognize the scent of a potential victim at a distance of more than 9.5 kilometers.

Its four limbs are well developed, moreover, they are equipped with curved claws about 10 cm long, capable of inflicting mortal wounds even on such a formidable animal as.

This species of reptile lives only on the Indonesian islands. Let's be a little more specific and call all the islands by name:

• Gili Mota;
• Komodo;
• Rindja;
• Flores;
• Padar;
• Ovadi Sami;

Some islands are located close to northern Australia. Scientists have suggested that this species of lizards previously lived in Australia, then, for unknown reasons, migrated to the aforementioned neighboring islands about 900 years ago.

All the islands on which this reptile species lives have a mountainous and rocky structure, and there is also a minor tropical jungle with a cultural landscape.

The Komodo dragon leads a solitary lifestyle, prefers to sleep at night, finding a dill, dry and warm place for itself, and in the morning when the warm rays heat its body to desired temperature he goes fishing.

An undisturbed animal moves slowly, raising its head slightly upward, and its tail is in an elevated state. If you try to catch it, it immediately becomes aggressive, delivering numerous blows with its powerful tail trying to knock down the enemy.

He is an excellent sprinter and can compete over short distances with. It can also easily catch up with a running person. The speed while chasing prey can reach up to 23 km/h. On maximum speed he cannot move for long, so he prefers to guard his prey in ambush and attack it at the most opportune moment for him.

Juveniles spend a lot of time in trees. It is difficult for adult lizards to climb a tree due to their enormous body mass, but if they need to catch prey, they can his tail, on which he operates while climbing, can help with this.

After a meal, young animals spend time in trees and tree hollows, while adults and old animals give their preference to rocky crevices or wet holes in the tropical forest.

Nutrition

The diet of this animal is quite varied, and it does not disdain carrion. The daily menu of an adult animal includes:

• Deer;
• Birds;

In addition to the above diet, young individuals can also eat small birds.

Hunting

We have already briefly mentioned the fact that adults run fast, but only over short distances; young animals, due to their low weight, are much more resilient and faster.

For hunting, this species has developed special tactics that allow them to get a wonderful meal with minimal energy consumption. Getting as close to the prey as possible close quarters, he freezes and waits for the victim to approach him.

Then he makes a throw at the victim and with his powerful jaws knocks her to the ground. Having fixed the animal with his teeth and paws, shaking his head in different directions, he tears off large pieces of meat and immediately swallows them. It’s curious, but after the animal is satisfied, it licks the remaining part of the carcass with its bloody tongue. This is probably the behavior of the animal that is associated with the stories about the “fire-breathing dragon.”

The mating season of monitor lizards begins at the end of June. During this period, fierce fights occur between males, during which they can injure their opponents, even to the point of death. This is justified, because the better the male’s territory, the greater the likelihood that the female will go to him.

A fertilized female lays more than 30 eggs in the ground at the end of July, and then carefully buries them for more than 8 months. The sun will do the rest of the work, its rays heat earth's surface to the desired temperature. After eight months, small lizards no more than 27-30 cm long hatch. Having got out, the tiny lizards become vulnerable because they can easily dine on them:

• And even large individuals of a related species;

The young are quite timid; the slightest rustle makes them hide under stones and in trees. Having survived three summer period, its body length is more than one meter in length, and it no longer has to be so timid. By the age of five, the length of his body has doubled and he is ready to mate.

This taxon is not currently threatened. Let's assume this is due to the fact that there are no people living on the islands. The approximate number of monitor lizards living on all the islands combined reaches more than 5,100 individuals.

On uninhabited islands The monitor lizard lives from 24 to 37 years.

1. The largest Komodo dragon lived at the St. Louis Zoo. its length was more than 3 meters and 15 cm, and its weight reached 167 kg.
2. One adult lizard can eat a large deer alone, but after that it takes a whole week to digest it.
3. The appearance of the egg of this lizard resembles that of a goose, but it is covered with a leathery surface.
4. The length of the tail of this predator is exactly half of its total length.
5. If several monitor lizards gather near the prey, then a complete hierarchy reigns among them.

The aura of mystery surrounding Komodo dragons is full of numerous myths and legends. This is not surprising: lizards, reaching three meters in length and one and a half centners in weight, have long been nicknamed dragons. And their way of life, hidden from scientists, and their love of feasting on corpses, including human ones, only added to the mysticism in rare descriptions.

One of the completely scientific myths is the way monitor lizards kill their prey. Until recently, even in scientific circles, it was believed that dragons infect their prey with harmful bacteria living in their unclean teeth, and then wait for the microbes and their toxins to do their dirty work.

Brian Fry from the Australian University of Melbourne and his colleagues showed that

dragons are, first of all, owners of small, but very dangerous poisonous glands that cause prey to die from loss of blood.

Since in Lately Since the number of large ungulate mammals in the dragons’ habitat has decreased significantly, the average size of individuals has also decreased significantly. But even now, one laceration is enough to kill a mammal significantly larger than a monitor lizard. One can only guess who Megalania hunted, if their poisonous glands were 5 times larger than those of Komodo dragons and could simultaneously secrete up to 1.2 mg of poison.