Giant lizard predator. The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard

Monitor lizards are the largest lizards in the world. In size, some of them are not inferior to crocodiles, although they are not related to them. Systematically, monitor lizards are closer to snakes than other lizards. These reptiles are classified into a separate family of monitor lizards, which includes 70 species.

Gray monitor lizard (Varanus griseus).

All types of monitor lizards are medium or large in size, the smallest of them, the short-tailed monitor lizard, reaches a length of only 20 cm, but most of these reptiles have a length of 0.5-1 m. The largest monitor lizard is the Komodo monitor (Komodo dragon, Komodo dragon) reaches 3 m long and weighs up to 140 kg! It was the gigantic size of this lizard that prompted people to call this species a dragon. Besides large sizes Monitor lizards differ from other lizards in their well-developed muscles, their paws are not only tenacious, but also strong, their stomach is widened in the middle part, their tail is muscular, whip-shaped and very long. Most monitor lizards have a tail that is as long as their body. Unlike real lizards, monitor lizards cannot throw their tail away in case of danger, but they can whip it from side to side. The muzzle of monitor lizards is bluntly rounded, but its features are more reminiscent of snakes than lizards. True, unlike snakes, monitor lizards have round eye pupils. The scales on the body are relatively large, rounded, the fingers end in long claws. The tongue at the end is forked like a snake’s, with its help monitor lizards can smell odors at a great distance (this is also a typical snake sign). In addition, the skin on the neck of many species can become very swollen. The coloring of monitor lizards is often dim, with gray, sand, black, and brown tones predominating. Many monitor lizards, especially young ones, have spotted and striped colors.

Emerald monitor lizard (Varanus prasinus) is the most bright look. This monitor lizard lives in tropical forests and the green color performs a camouflage function.

Monitor lizards - residents warm countries, almost nowhere does their range extend beyond the tropics and only the gray monitor lizard in the north of its range lives in the temperate zone (in Central Asia). Greatest species diversity Monitor lizards reached Australia and the surrounding islands; these animals are also found in South and Central Asia, in Africa. They do not live in the New World. The ranges of most species are extensive, but the Komodo dragon lives only on the Indonesian island of Komodo. This is the rarest and smallest species.

The habitats of monitor lizards are varied; according to their ecological preferences, they can be divided into two groups. Some monitor lizards prefer arid desert areas; they are found in dry bushes, woodlands, savannas, semi-deserts and real quicksand. Other species prefer to stay close to water; they live on the banks of reservoirs in tropical forests. Finally, there are monitor lizards that prefer arboreal vegetation and spend most of their time in trees. However, monitor lizards of other groups are also excellent climbers.

Monitor lizards are active all year round and only the gray monitor lizard in the north of its range hibernates in the winter. Burrows serve as shelter for him, which he seals with an earthen plug for the winter. Other species also dig burrows and spend the night in them. The monitor lizard's burrow has a length of up to 2-2.5, and a large one komodo dragon up to 5 m in length! A person can freely climb into such a hole. Monitor lizards are sedentary animals, but they do not adhere to strict boundaries of their territories. Most of the time they are actively searching, covering a large area during the day. The movements of monitor lizards are not similar to the movements of nimble real lizards. When walking, they strongly bend their spine and thus resemble crocodiles. However, the sprawling movement is just an illusion of clumsiness; if necessary, monitor lizards can run quickly, climb the branches of trees and bushes, most species are good swimmers.

The mottled monitor lizard (Varanus varius) reaches a length of 2 m and is famous for its ability to climb trees.

Monitor lizards live alone and have a quarrelsome character. Having met at the prey, they immediately enter into a fight. Monitor lizards threaten their opponent with a loud hiss, strongly inflate their belly and lash with their tail. U large species the blow of the thin but strong tail is like the blow of a whip; it is very sensitive even for a person. Komodo dragons are more relaxed towards relatives of equal size (smaller ones are driven away); sometimes they can share a meal with large prey.

Monitor lizards are active predators. They are not picky about food and will catch almost any animal of suitable size. Depending on the place of residence of a particular species, their prey includes small lizards, snakes (including poisonous ones), young turtles, small mammals (gerbils, hedgehogs, platypuses), and insects. Monitor lizards readily feast on the eggs of crocodiles, birds, turtles, and snakes and regularly check the sites of possible clutches. Monitor lizards look for their prey in two ways: they look for prey while walking around the territory and chase it at a run (mobile, but not too frisky species) or find it by smell (sedentary animals, eggs, carrion). Monitor lizards sense odors from a great distance and accurately determine their source, constantly sticking out their tongue and sniffing the air with it. This search method is not typical for real lizards, but is typical for snakes. Monitor lizards either swallow their prey whole or tear off pieces with their mouths, holding them with their front paws.

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) has a thick, inflexible tail that is not used for defense.

Due to their large size, Komodo dragons eat special foods. The basis of their diet is carrion, primarily the corpses of large animals - wild pigs and deer. However, carrion in nature is a “scarce” product. In this regard, Komodo dragons have developed tolerance towards their relatives when eating prey and... the ability to kill their prey. Of course, it is difficult for a heavy monitor lizard to catch up with a fast-footed deer, but he does not have to catch it, just bite him, and in a couple of days the table is ready. Even a light bite from the Komodo dragon is fatal, which has given rise to talk about the poisonousness of this species. However, these monitor lizards do not have real poison, but they do have a unique substitute. The saliva of Komodo dragons is very viscous and pathogenic bacteria multiply in it; their food is small pieces of food stuck between the teeth of the monitor lizard. The owner himself bacteriological weapons does not suffer at all from such blatant unsanitary conditions in its mouth, but when bitten, bacteria enter the victim’s wound and cause blood poisoning. A deer or pig weakens and dies after a few days, and the monitor lizard finds the victim by smell.

The ring-tailed monitor lizard (Varanus acanthurus) is distinguished by its bright spotted color.

Monitor lizards breed once a year. The breeding season may vary depending on where the monitor lizard lives; in the tropics it coincides with the beginning of the rainy season. Monitor lizards lay from 7 to 60 eggs in burrows, hollows, anthills and termite mounds. The size of the eggs varies from 2 cm in small species to 10 cm in length in the Komodo dragon (such an egg weighs 200 g). The eggs are covered with a soft parchment shell, the incubation period is unusually long - 9-10 months! Parents do not take care of their offspring; young monitor lizards are completely independent after hatching. Medium-sized species (for example, gray monitor lizards) reach sexual maturity by 3 years.

Due to their large size, monitor lizards have few enemies. Small species and young individuals are the most vulnerable; they can even suffer from their own relatives; cases of cannibalism are known among these reptiles. Monitor lizards can be attacked large snakes, predator birds, crocodiles. In defense, these animals hit the attacker with their tail, hiss, open their mouths and bite painfully.

The Salvador monitor lizard (Varanus salvadorii) is called the crocodile lizard by the British because of the similarity of this large lizard to crocodiles.

Monitor lizards also suffer greatly from hunting. In some places they are hunted for meat and eggs collected. But most often monitor lizards are killed for their skin. The skin of these animals is strong, with a beautiful pattern and pleasant texture; it is considered an expensive raw material and is used to make exclusive shoes, bags and other accessories. Now some species of monitor lizards are listed in the national Red Data Books (gray monitor lizard), and the Komodo monitor lizard is included in the International Red Book. These reptiles pose no danger to humans. As an exception, there are a few known cases of Komodo dragons attacking people, but these can be explained by the small size of the victim (most of the victims were teenagers). Obviously a person short monitor lizards are confused with their usual prey. Now a reserve has been organized to protect Komodo dragons, tourist access to the habitats of these animals is limited and accidents have become a thing of the past. In captivity, most large species of monitor lizards do not take root well, so they are rarely seen in zoos.

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. A wild Komodo dragon as an adult 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 by the sun's 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 rules.

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 under protection, 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.

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, having found a dill, dry and warm place for itself, and in the morning when warm rays will heat his body up 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.

website - Let's dream together, today he will surprise you with facts about himself ancient lizard planets. Dragon from Komodo Island, have you heard of this? If not, then you have definitely seen the films.

It was these reptiles that became the prototype for the main character in horror films. They inspired directors to create the most incredible stories.

Giant monitor lizards actually exist: they are lizards from the island of Komodo.

Where do dragons live and how did they appear on the islands of Indonesia?

There is such a term: island gigantism. This is a natural phenomenon: in a closed and isolated space, from generation to generation, animals increase in size.

Almost like in the movie “Jurassic Park”, but there scientists created suitable conditions. But in Indonesia everything happened naturally. Although the theory is quite controversial.

A long time ago, in Australia (an isolated continent) and on the island of Java, huge predators lived and lived - giant monitor lizards. This is the home of dragons. The oldest fossilized remains of them date back to almost 4 million years ago. The extinction that befell many animal species during the Pleistocene era did not affect the Komodo dragons.

How did the lizards survive?

They promptly changed their location and took root on the islands of Indonesia closest to the continent. The ocean sank and rose. The continents moved, and they calmly waited on the islands. This helped save the lizards from extinction. So they ended up on the island of Flores and those nearby.

The giant monitor lizard lives only on five Indonesian islands - Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang and Padar.

What do lizards look like?

They are really scary and appearance, and scaly skin, and a forked tongue, like a snake. They can reach up to 80 and sometimes up to 100 kilograms. Possess poisonous bites, allowing them to hunt and kill large animals and sometimes even people. But first things first.

The dark terracotta hide has many protective lamellar ossifications. This is a kind of “land crocodile” armor. The average lizard is not too huge: it weighs only 50 kilograms and is up to 3 meters in length. Sometimes there are specimens that want to get into the book of records and much more.

Komodo dragons have no direct predators

Loners in life

Komodo dragons are solitary predators. They gather in groups only for the period of mating games and during large hunts (there are also such).

They live in burrows up to 4-5 meters deep or in tree hollows (mostly young people). Everything is like people. Life expectancy is up to 45-50 years. Young monitor lizards easily climb trees.

A direct threat to their lives can only be big crocodiles and people.

Sprinters in the jungle

Despite their external clumsiness, these are capable of a lightning-fast ambush attack. Don't underestimate their abilities. In terms of speed, he can compete with a sprinter over short distances. Speeds up to 20 km/h.

A special hole under the tongue allows it to move and breathe at the same time when running. The pump pumps air and does not take away energy in pursuit, increasing endurance and chances of winning.

What do Komodo dragons eat?

Predatory lizards. My favorite food is meat. And it doesn’t matter at all whose. Large or small animal, fish, turtle or large insect. They can even eat a relative for lunch. They do not hesitate to tear open their own burrows with their cubs and feast on them. In the video below you can see him feasting on snake eggs.

Often, during periods of famine, they tear up fresh and not so fresh graves and eat the corpses. Therefore, the population of the islands (Indonesians) bury their inhabitants by covering the graves with cement slabs.

Hunting rules - the victim has no chance

Like crocodiles, giant monitor lizards severely injure their prey with their first bite. Ripping out huge chunks of muscle, breaking bones and tearing arteries. Therefore, the mortality rate from their bites is 99%. The victims have virtually no chance of survival.

In addition to severe trauma, the saliva of monitor lizards contains poison, which quickly causes sepsis. In the lower jaw of the mammal there are 2 poisonous glands, through which the poison enters.

Photos of the Komodo dragon only confirm speculation about extinct dinosaurs.

Sharp teeth rip through prey like a can opener

Unusual ability to reproduce without fertilization

The lizard population is 3:1, with many more males than females. Which makes the battle for the female a deadly tournament of the fittest.

They lay up to 20 eggs in deep burrows. For 9 whole months the female guards the nest with the offspring. Up to 2 years old, young individuals live in the crowns of trees.

These reptiles have the ability: parthenogenesis. Reproduction by sexual and non-sexual methods. Eggs develop easily even without direct fertilization.

In case of storms and earthquakes. Females can reproduce without males.

Toxic monitor lizard saliva

The poison helps slow down the victim's blood clotting, causes muscle paralysis, sharply lowers blood pressure and causes hypothermia, followed by shock and loss of consciousness. This allows the predator to easily finish off and eat the unfortunate one.

The toxicity of saliva helps the predators themselves digest food faster.

Thanks to a good sense of smell and sense of smell, the smell of blood can easily determine the direction to the victim within a radius of 5–9 kilometers. A forked tongue also contributes to this.

In one meal they can eat up to 85% of their weight in meat own body. The stomach tends to stretch greatly.

The high immunity of Komodo dragons allows them to survive in unfavorable conditions with minimal losses

A quick way to have lunch

To swallow prey faster, they have come up with an unusual method.

The victim rests against a tree or big Stone and stretch their body against it, fixing themselves with their paws.

They react sharply to even the slightest smell of blood. There are known cases of attacks on tourists with minor scratches on their arms or legs.

The high immunity of Komodo dragons allows them to survive in adverse conditions with minimal losses.

For a long time it was assumed that the saliva of lizards contains a large number of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms. Until 2009, this was believed to be the case, until Brian Fry’s research proved that the venom of lizards is not as toxic and poisonous as that of snakes.

They react acutely to even the slightest smell of blood

Unusual strategy in dragon hunting

The lizard's jaws are not as strong as those of its closest relative, the crocodile. And they lose noticeably in newtons. 2600 N versus almost 7,000 N of the crocodile. The monitor lizard has a much weaker grip, so it is used unusual strategy attacks.

As we already wrote in the article, they tear apart their prey by making chaotic head movements. Waving in all directions, finishing off the unfortunate man and dragging him into the water.

Lizards have a different tactic: having firmly grabbed the animal, they begin to pull it in their direction, bracing themselves with powerful paws and helping with long claws.

Sharp teeth rip open the victim like a can opener. Pieces of flesh are torn off and fatal wounds are inflicted. Violent jerks towards oneself and rotation of the neck allow one to inflict wounds that are incompatible with life.
In such a fight there is only one winner - the Komodo monitor lizard.

Video: 8 facts about the Komodo dragon

They have no direct predators (by the way, neither do humans), and currently they feel quite at ease. It’s as if they are waiting for the right moment to lead the hierarchy. True, they do not increase in size. Maybe this is it for now?

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Komodo dragon also called the giant Indonesian monitor lizard because it is the largest lizard on earth. Its size is impressive, because often such a lizard can grow more than 3 meters in length and weigh over 80 kg.

Komodo dragon

Interestingly, in captivity monitor lizards reach large sizes than in wildlife. For example, in the St. Louis Zoo there lived one such representative, whose weight was 166 kg and its length was 313 cm.

Many scientists believe that in Australia (and monitor lizards originated there) animals tend to have gigantic sizes. In addition, Megalania, a relative of monitor lizards that has already become extinct, was much larger. It reached a length of 7 meters and weighed about 700 kg.

But different scientists different opinions, but what remains obvious is that the Komodo dragon has an impressive size, and this does not please all of its neighbors, because it is also a predator.

True, due to the fact that large ungulates are increasingly being exterminated by poachers, the monitor lizard has to look for smaller prey, and this has a depressing effect on its size.

Already, the average representative of these animals has a length and weight much less than that of its relatives just 10 years ago. The habitat of these reptiles is not too wide; they have chosen the islands of Indonesia.

About 1,700 individuals live on Komodo, about 2,000 monitor lizards live on Flores Island, Rinca Island shelters 1,300 individuals and 100 monitor lizards live on Gili Motang. Such precision speaks volumes about how rare this amazing animal has become.

The character and lifestyle of the Komodo dragon

Komodo dragon does not respect the company of his relatives too much; he prefers a solitary lifestyle. True, there are times when such loneliness is broken. Basically, this happens during the breeding season or during feeding, then these animals can gather in groups.

It happens that there is a large dead carcass, from which the smell of carrion emanates. And monitor lizards have an overdeveloped sense of smell. And a rather impressive group of these lizards gathers on this carcass. But most often, monitor lizards hunt alone, usually during the day, and hide in shelters at night. They build burrows for shelter.

Such a hole can be up to 5 meters long; monitor lizards tear it out with their claws. And young people can easily hide in a hollow tree. But the animal does not strictly adhere to these rules.

He can even walk through his territory at night in search of prey. He doesn’t like active heat too much, so he prefers to be in the shade at this time. The Komodo dragon feels most comfortable on dry terrain, especially if it is a small hill that is clearly visible.

During hot periods, it prefers to wander near rivers, looking for carrion that has washed ashore. He also gets into the water easily, because he is an excellent swimmer. It will not be difficult for him to cover quite a considerable distance on the water.

But don’t think that this bulky one can only be agile in the water. On land, when chasing prey, this clumsy beast can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h.

Very interesting watch Komodo dragon on video- there are videos where you can see how he gets food from a tree - he stands on his hind legs, and uses his strong tail as reliable support.

Adult and heavy individuals do not like to climb trees too much, and they are not very good at it, but young monitor lizards, not burdened with heavy weight, climb trees very well. And they even really like to spend time on curved trunks and branches. Such a powerful, dexterous and large animal has no enemies in nature.

True, the monitor lizards themselves are not averse to dining on their weaker relatives. Especially during periods when food is tight, monitor lizards easily attack their smaller brothers, grab them and shake them violently, breaking their spines. Large victims (,), sometimes fight very desperately for their lives, causing serious injuries to the monitor lizards.

And since this one prefers large prey, you can count more than one scar on the body of adult monitor lizards. But animals achieve such invulnerability only in adulthood. And small monitor lizards can be prey for dogs, snakes, birds and other predators.

Komodo dragon nutrition

The diet of the monitor lizard is varied. While the lizard is still in infancy, it can even eat insects. But as the individual grows, its prey increases in weight. Until the monitor lizard reaches a weight of 10 kg, it feeds on small animals, sometimes climbing to the tops of trees after them.

True, such “babies” can easily attack game that weighs almost 50 kg. But after the monitor lizard has gained weight more than 20 kg, its diet consists only of large animals. The monitor lizard waits for deer and wild boars at a watering hole or near forest paths. Seeing prey, the predator pounces, trying to knock down the victim with a blow of its tail.

Often, such a blow immediately breaks the legs of the unfortunate. But more often, the monitor lizard tries to bite the tendons on the victim’s legs. And even then, when the immobilized victim cannot escape, he tears the still living animal into large pieces, tearing them out of the neck or stomach. The monitor lizard eats a not particularly large animal entirely (for example, a goat). If the victim does not immediately surrender, the monitor lizard will still overtake him, guided by the smell of blood.

Varan is gluttonous. In one meal, he easily eats about 60 kg of meat, if he himself weighs 80. According to eyewitnesses, one is not too big female Komodo dragon(weighing 42 kg) in 17 minutes finished off a boar weighing 30 kg.

It is clear that it is better to stay away from such a cruel, insatiable predator. Therefore, from the areas where monitor lizards settle, for example, reticulated pythons, which simply cannot compare in hunting qualities with this beast.

Reproduction and life expectancy of the Komodo dragon

Monitor lizards become sexually mature only in the 10th year of life. In addition, only a little more than 20% of all monitor lizards are females, so the struggle for them is serious. Only the strongest and healthiest individuals come to mate.

After mating, the female finds a place to lay eggs; she is especially attracted to compost heaps, which are a natural incubator for eggs. Up to 20 eggs are laid there.

After 8 - 8.5 months, the cubs appear, which immediately move from the nest to tree branches to be away from dangerous relatives. There they spend the first 2 years of their life.

Interestingly, a female can lay eggs without a male. The body of these lizards is designed in such a way that even with non-sexual reproduction, the eggs will be viable and normal young will hatch from them. Only they will all be male.

So nature took care of the case when monitor lizards find themselves on islands isolated from each other, where one female may not have any relatives. How many years Komodo dragons live in the wild, it was not possible to know for sure, it is believed that 50-60 years. Moreover, females live half as long. And in captivity, not a single monitor lizard has ever lived more than 25 years.