Komodo Dragons

As a strong predator, the Komodo Dragon will eat almost anything. Their diet can include Buffalo and Deer. They are big meat eaters and drinks lots of water to stay hydrated. Komodo Dragons will bite its prey and its venomous saliva will slowly kill them. The Komodo Dragon will wait for the prey to die then rip it apart with its sharp teeth. Yum!

The Komodo Dragons habitat can be anything from a&nbsp;tropical dry forest to a savanna to a forest. No matter where they live, the Komodo Dragon likes extreme heat. It is usually around 35 degrees with lots of humidity to help it stay hydrated. The young Komodo Dragons live up trees so they are not hunted by their Mums and Dads. They mainly live in South East Asia and on an Island called "Komodo Island"

TheKomodo dragon looks like a very large lizard and dinosaur at the same time. They can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh a few hundred kilograms. Its surface is covered in Armour-like scales which are thick and strong. They have black eyes and hear from the back of their neck. The Komodo Dragon also has venomous saliva glands that look sticky. They also have a long tongue that divides at the tip like a fork.

Evidence suggests the Komodo Dragon originated in Australia. Fossils were found by a team of international scientists in Eastern Australia, from 300,000 years ago to roughly 4 million years ago that are the same as Komodo Dragons today. The Komodo Dragons use their forked tongues instead of noses to smell. The Komodo Dragon are one of the largest lizards on earth sometimes being the length of a small car. Female Komodo Dragons bury their eggs once they are laid and never meet their babies.

The Komodo Dragon is classified as a reptile. It is a part of the Megladon family which means it is a relative of dinosaurs, which are closely linked to sharks.

The Komodo Dragons are currently listed as endangered because of&nbsp;habitat destruction from development and natural disasters. There also has been a loss of large prey (such as deer) from hunting. There have also been reports of illegal hunting of the lizards themselves.

The Komodo Dragon

The Komodo Dragon moves alone. It's whole body moves together as it walks. The Komodo Dragon can swim and they use their long, strong tail to help them do this. They move quite slowly sometimes to preserve their energy. The truth is, they are actually quite fast and can sprint at 19km per hour. The average human can sprint up to 24km per hour!