Komodo is a lizard that lives on four islands of Indonesia (Flores, Komodo, Rincha, Gili Motang), where it is a full-fledged mistress who does not have enemies. On average, lives up to 50 years. Komodo monitor lizard is one of the largest representatives of the monitor family.
Komodo is a lizard that, with good nutrition, can reach a mass of 150 kg and a body length of about 3 meters, of which half will fall on the tail. The color is dark brown with small yellow spots. It has a pair of poisonous glands located on the lower jaw. Vision and hearing are not very developed, but the sense of smell is excellent, its function is performed by a language bifurcated at the end. Moving on strong
thick legs, he constantly sticks out his tongue and feels with him everything that meets on the way.
The Komodo lizard has a large head with eyes glistening in the sun. The heavy folds of skin hanging on the neck, the skin itself in the horn plates, powerful jaws with sharp three-centimeter teeth - all this resembles a prehistoric monster who miraculously survived to this day.
Gigantic Komodo lizards are predators, and very gluttonous. Four adults are able to eat 80 kg of meat in just a few minutes, tearing
five kilogram pieces and, without chewing, swallowing them. When they are full, they rest for a while, digest food, and go hunting again.
Like most reptiles, the Komodo (lizard) does not pursue prey, but lies in wait for it (it may turn out to be a wild pig, deer and even a buffalo). She knocks down the approaching victim with a blow of the tail, presses it to the ground and bites the carotid artery.
The object of hunting is not only large animals, but also birds, rodents, snakes and even insects. Interestingly catches a chest of draw macaque lizard. After waiting for the moment when the herd of monkeys is on the ground, it bursts into the middle and grabs any, as they all numb with horror at the sight of a predator. By the way, “Komodo” is translated as “rat island”. They probably lived here before, but now there are almost none - the lizards ate everyone.
In the mating season, skirmishes between males constantly flare up, because they are 3.5 times more than females. Mating usually occurs in July. In a few weeks
the female lays up to 25 large eggs weighing approximately 0.2 kg. She guards the masonry for about 8 months, until the young hatch. Coming out of the eggs, the monitors immediately leave the mother, climbing the nearby trees. They have to spend about the first two years of life there, so as not to be eaten by adult relatives. But on a tree, danger can await them: snakes and
birds of prey. Cubs grow slowly, feed on caught insects and birds.
Amazing fact: Komodo is a lizard that can reproduce without the participation of a male. If for some reason she was left alone during the rutting season, she would lay her eggs anyway, but they would be unfertilized, only males would be born from them.
Much is known about the Komodo lizard today, but there are also unanswered questions. For example, it is known for certain that they are of Australian origin, but how it came to the islands of Indonesia is not clear. They can swim, but swim a huge distance - hardly. In general, the dresser-lizard continues to be a mysterious animal, about which much remains to be learned.