Where is Komodo National Park located?

Founded in 1980, Komodo National Park is located in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago. The park is spread over 600 sq. km of land and 1.2 sq. km of sea waters. It includes three main islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as many smaller islands.

Komodo Island

All of them are part of the Lesser Sunda Islands and are located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores, the Indonesian archipelago. The largest of them is Komodo. Its population is 2 thousand people. The inhabitants of the island are the descendants of former prisoners who were marooned on the island and who subsequently mixed with the Boogie tribe from the island of Sulawesi.

Are Komodo dragons an endangered species?

Komodo dragons are in the status of vulnerable animals. Experts estimate the population size at 4,000 - 5,000 individuals. However, some scientists fear that among them there are only 350 females of reproductive age. All of them are listed in the IUCN Red List. Especially for them, a national park was organized on Komodo Island.

Any hunting of these lizards is prohibited by law, and catching can only be done for zoos with special permission from the Committee for Nature Conservation under the Government of Indonesia.

How much does a Komodo dragon weigh?

Komodo dragon can reach a length of 2.5-3 m, its weight ranges from 50 to 70 kg. Females are smaller and reach a length of only 1.5-2 m. The length of the monitor lizard's tail is about half the length of the body.

How fast does a Komodo dragon run?

The Komodo monitor lizard is quite fast and can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h. In principle, a Komodo monitor lizard can catch up with a person, although much depends on the person himself - how fast he runs. Having no natural opponents, in addition to carrion, he hunts almost all large living creatures that can be found on the island - deer, buffalo, wild boars and their smaller relatives.

Hiding quietly in the bushes or any other shelter, the Komodo monitor lizard waits for its prey and then attacks. The mortal danger lies both in sharp teeth and in 50 strains of various pathogenic bacteria that cause blood poisoning and death of the victim, as a rule, in 24 hours.

Feature article Mad Zoologist about komodo dragons:

The Komodo dragon is sometimes called the Komodo dragon, and for good reason. This prehistoric predator with its appearance and size really reminds us of mythical dragons. The Komodo dragon is one of the largest living reptiles and is the largest modern lizard. The massive body of this monster can reach more than 3 meters, but most often its length is 2-3 meters. These monitor lizards usually weigh about 80 kg, but can be much heavier - about 165 kg.

This dinosaur of our days is armed very impressively. Its skull is on average about 21 cm long, and in its huge mouth are many large teeth with jagged edges that are flattened laterally and curved back. Each tooth is a kind of carving knife. With such teeth, the animal can easily pull out pieces of meat from its prey. The monitor lizard does not have chewing teeth, all its teeth are of the same conical shape, so it practically does not chew, and tearing off pieces of meat, it simply swallows them. The structure of the skull and pharynx allows this reptile to swallow very large pieces.

In addition to terrifying teeth, the Komodo monitor lizard is armed with long hook-shaped claws and a truly terrible tail. A blow from such a tail can knock an adult off his feet and inflict severe injuries on him. When monitor lizards fight among themselves, for example, because of prey or a female, they stand on their hind legs, clasping each other with their paws and inflicting bites on each other, while trying to overcome the opponent. Although, I must say that they rarely fight over prey. On Komodo Island, monitor lizards are specially fed for the amusement of tourists. A few monitor lizards can safely devour a deer carcass. These huge lizards do not attack people, but they potentially pose a serious danger. Reliable cases of attacks of these reptiles on humans are known. Not only is the bite of a Komodo monitor lizard extremely dangerous in itself, it has a lot of microbes in its mouth that can cause blood poisoning.

In addition to the Komodo Island itself, which is lost among the many islands of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo monitor lizard lives on the islands of Flores, Rinja and Padar. All these islands are quite small, hardly visible on the map. And the Komodo monitor lizard is not found anywhere else in the world, so this species is protected by law. It would be a real crime if this reptile, which has come down to us from the depths of many millions of years, disappears from the face of the earth now, in the 21st century of our era.

Throughout its habitat, the Komodo monitor lizard is the dominant predator. None of the animals living side by side with him can compare with him in strength. The basis of the diet of the giant monitor lizard is deer and wild pigs. In addition, he eats other, smaller animals, as well as carrion.

Monitor lizards search for prey with the help of vision, as well as their unusual language. With its forked tongue, the monitor lizard perceives the smallest odor particles left by the victim, and analyzes them with the help of the Jacobson organ, which communicates with the oral cavity. Having found its prey, the monitor lizard sneaks up to it at a suitable distance, and then makes a swift throw. Despite its clumsy appearance, the Komodo monitor lizard is able to develop unexpected speed for such a huge lizard. In principle, a Komodo monitor lizard can catch up with a person, although much depends on the person himself - how fast he runs.

Mating of Komodo monitor lizards occurs, as a rule, in July and is accompanied by fierce battles between males. In August, the female lays more than two dozen eggs, which are usually buried in the ground, or hidden in a hole. After about 8-8.5 months, babies hatch from the eggs, which grow very quickly. They are very shy and flee at the slightest danger. Unlike adults, lizards are great at climbing trees and escaping, often climbing them. Young monitor lizards are colored brighter than adults. Over the years, they acquire a darker, greenish-brown color. The life expectancy of the Komodo dragon is about 50 years.

In captivity, Komodo monitor lizards quite easily get used to humans and become tame. It seems to me that monitor lizards are the most highly developed reptiles, after crocodiles. There are cases when tame monitor lizards responded to their nickname.

Going on vacation to exotic countries, you need to be prepared to meet the local inhabitants of the animal world. Many creatures of the fauna inhabiting the Earth can be dangerous to humans (see). One of these animals are poisonous lizards, the collision with which often turns into unpleasant consequences for vacationing tourists.

Recently, it has become fashionable to keep exotic reptiles in apartments - various lizards, including poisonous ones. Such animals easily adapt to life in captivity, eat raw meat and willingly make contact with their master. But we should not forget: no matter how peacefully the pet looks, it still belongs to the wild representatives of the fauna, which means that at any moment it can show aggression towards a person.

Who are lizards?

There are over 3,000 different lizards on planet Earth. These animals belong to the class of reptiles, the group of reptiles. The creatures are direct relatives of the ancient inhabitants who inhabited the Earth many millions of years ago. Thanks to evolution, lizards have changed significantly. Some of them even have a relatively small body size, but there are also giants whose length is more than 2 meters. Some reptiles are absolutely harmless to humans, while others are deadly individuals that can kill an adult animal or person with their poison.

The order of lizards includes geckos, lizards, monitor lizards, iguanas, chameleons, skinks and agamas. Some reptiles live on land, capturing the sandy surface of the earth, others prefer to settle in the mountains or near the surf line. There are also representatives who choose an arboreal lifestyle. Lizards are found in almost all corners of the planet, with the exception of cold zones. Some reptiles have the ability to run quickly on a vertical surface, while others are able to soar like birds.

The smallest lizard is considered to be the Virginian round-toed gecko, whose body length is only 16 mm. The giant among representatives of the group of reptiles is the monitor lizard of Komodo Island, adults of such a reptile reach a body length of more than 3 m.

The skin of lizards is covered with special scales that help animals avoid various injuries and drying out. Geckos, like snakes, are able to shed the keratinized layer of the skin - molt. Reptiles have ribs, the number of which depends on the specific animal species. Breathing is done with the help of the lungs. Almost all lizards breed on land, while laying rather large eggs. Small reptiles, having just emerged from eggs, look like adults and, as a rule, already know how to get their own food on their own.

Lizards, like other reptiles, do not have a constant body temperature, which is why their activity directly depends on what temperature prevails in their habitat. In warm or hot weather, reptiles lead an active lifestyle; in cold and rainy weather, on the contrary, they are inactive and lethargic. If the ambient temperature approaches 0ᵒC, animals enter a state of torpor.

Dangerous lizards

What lizards are poisonous? The most dangerous lizards are considered: the gila-tooth, which can be found in the Southwest of the United States of America and its relative, the Mexican gila-tooth, found in the forests of western Mexico. The poison of such reptiles is extremely dangerous, but, as a rule, these representatives rarely attack people themselves. Most often, it is the person trying to catch the poisonous lizard that becomes the culprit of the attack of the gila teeth.

At the very bottom of the oral cavity, they have 8 poisonous glands, in which a dangerous toxic substance is produced. The poison is evenly distributed over the teeth of the lizards and is injected into the body of the victim during the bite. The gila teeth cling very strongly to their opponent, sometimes it is almost impossible to tear the reptile from the victim. The toxin that enters the wound from the teeth has a paralytic effect and causes severe intoxication.

Photo of a lizard gila-tooth:

Attention! If such a lizard bites a person, the latter is unlikely to die, since the amount of the toxin itself is sometimes not enough to cause death.

Symptoms of poisonous lizard bites

Symptoms of an attack by a dangerous reptile are:

• laceration at the site of the bite;
• feeling of severe pain;
• spotted erythema;
• tissue swelling;
• visual impairment;
• weakness;
• dyspnea;
• severe nausea.

First aid to the victim of a bite should be provided immediately, since there is no antitoxic serum. The bitten person must apply a compressive bandage to the affected part of the body, the wound must be cut and the blood squeezed out. Next, a cold compress is applied to the wound area, with severe pain they are applied. To prevent the inflammatory process, the victim needs the introduction of tetanus toxoid.

Are monitor lizards dangerous?

The Komodo dragon is often referred to as the dragon of Komodo Island because it is the largest lizard in the world. In nature, there are individuals more than three meters long and weighing more than 150 kg. Almost half the length of the lizard is occupied by a powerful tail, with which the dragon is able to stun its prey. A meeting of a person with a monitor lizard in frequent cases ends in severe fractures of the limbs if the lizard uses its tail.

Monitor lizard has sharp sawtooth teeth that can tear the caught prey to pieces. Large lizards hunt mostly alone. An adult dragon is able to attack a large animal (boar, goat, buffalo), inflict dangerous lacerations on it. After the injuries received, the victim in most cases dies, sometimes even after a couple of weeks. The lizard follows its prey on its heels, and when the latter is overtaken by death, the lizard eats the corpse.

Is the lizard poisonous or not? For a long time it was believed that the bite of a monitor lizard is dangerous because the infection on the predator's teeth penetrates into the wound, but scientists have proven that the Komodo dragon has 2 poisonous glands located in the lower jaw. The glands secrete a special protein that is highly toxic. This substance is capable of:

• lower the body temperature of the victim;
• reduce the function of blood clotting;
• cause hypotension (lowering blood pressure);
• cause paralysis and loss of consciousness.

Find out: how to protect yourself from being burned by a marine animal.

Read what to do with: antidote and first aid.

Do you know why: causes of brain damage, treatment of convulsive syndrome.

The presence of poisonous glands in a monitor lizard indicates that the bite of a dragon is deadly. An adult predator poses a serious threat to humans. There are cases when monitor lizards attacked people, bit them and thereby caused blood poisoning and, as a result, death. A poisonous lizard poses a mortal threat to a child, if it is difficult for a monitor lizard to cope with an adult, it will not be difficult for him to kill a child.

The Komodo monitor lizard is an amazing and truly unique animal, which is not without reason called a dragon. The largest living lizard spends most of its time hunting. It is the object of pride of the islanders and the ongoing interest of tourists.

Our article will tell about the life of this dangerous predator, the features of its behavior and the characteristics characteristic of the species.

Appearance

The photos of Komodo monitor lizards given in our article help to understand why the locals called this reptile a land crocodile. These animals are really comparable in size.

Most adult Komodo monitor lizards reach 2.5 meters in length, while their weight barely exceeds half a centner. But even among the giants there are champions. There is reliable information about the Komodo dragon, the length of which exceeded 3 meters, and the weight reached 150 kg.

Only a specialist can visually distinguish a male from a female. Sexual dimorphism is practically not expressed, but male monitor lizards are usually slightly more massive. But to determine which of the two monitor lizards is older, any tourist who arrived on the island for the first time will be able to: the young are always colored brighter. In addition, with age, folds and leathery growths form on dull skin.

The body of the monitor lizard is squat, stocky, with very powerful limbs. The tail is mobile and strong. The paws are topped with huge claws.

The huge mouth looks menacing, even when the monitor lizard is calm. The nimble forked tongue, which now and then emerges from it, is called creepy and frightening by many eyewitnesses.

Story

Giant monitor lizards on Komodo Island were first discovered in the early twentieth century. Since then, scientists have continued to study the species.

It has been established that the history of the development and evolution of monitor lizards is associated with Australia. The species diverged from its historical ancestor about 40 million years ago, then migrated to the remote mainland and nearby islands.

Later, the population shifted to the islands of Indonesia. Perhaps this is due to natural phenomena or a decrease in the populations of species that are of food interest for monitor lizards. In any case, the fauna of Australia only benefited from such a resettlement - many species literally escaped extinction. But the Indonesian ones were not lucky: many scientists associate their extinction precisely with the predators of the genus Varanus.

Modernity has successfully mastered new territories and feels great.

Behavioral features

Monitor lizards are diurnal and prefer to sleep at night. Like the rest of the cold-blooded, they are sensitive to temperature extremes. The hunting time comes at dawn. Leading solitary monitor lizards are not averse to join forces while chasing game.

It may seem that Komodo dragons are clumsy fat people, but this is far from the case. These animals are unusually hardy, mobile and strong. They are able to reach speeds of up to 20 km / h, and during their run, as they say, the earth trembles. Dragons feel no less confident in the water: it is not a problem for them to swim to the neighboring island. Sharp nails, strong musculature and a balancer tail help these animals to climb trees and steep rocks perfectly. Needless to say, how difficult it is to escape from the monitor lizard to the victim on whom he laid eyes?

dragon life

Adult Komodo monitor lizards live separately from each other. But once a year the flock converges. The period of love and creation of families begins with bloody battles in which it is impossible to simply lose. The fight can end either in victory or death from wounds.

No other animal is dangerous for the monitor lizard. In their natural habitat, these animals do not know anyone stronger than themselves. People don't hunt them either. Only another dragon can kill a dragon.

Titan mating games

The victorious monitor lizard can choose a girlfriend with whom he will have kids. The couple will build a nest, the female will guard the eggs for about eight months, which can be encroached upon by small nocturnal predators. By the way, relatives are also not averse to enjoying such a delicacy. But as soon as the babies are born, the mother will leave them. They will have to survive on their own, relying only on the ability to disguise themselves and run.

Monitor lizards do not form permanent pairs. The next mating season will start from scratch - that is, with new battles in which more than one dragon will die.

Komodo monitor lizard on the hunt

This animal is a real killing machine. Komodo islands can even attack those who are much larger than them in size, such as buffaloes. After the death of the victim, a feast begins. Monitor lizards eat the carcass, tearing off and swallowing huge pieces.

It is noteworthy that most predators prefer one thing - either fresh meat or carrion. The digestive system of the monitor lizard is able to cope with both. Giants gladly feast on the carcasses brought by the sea.

Killer Poison

Powerful jaws, musculature and claws are not the monitor lizard's only weapons. The real gem of the arsenal can be called a unique saliva. It contains not only huge doses (probably obtained by eating carrion), but also poison.

For a long time, scientists were sure that the death of a bitten victim comes from banal sepsis. But recently the presence of poisonous glands has been established. The amount of poison is small, causing instant death only in small animals. But the received dose is enough to start irreversible processes.

Monitor lizards are not only excellent tacticians, but also delightful strategists. They know how to wait, sometimes hanging around near the victim for 2-3 weeks and watching how she slowly dies.

coexistence with man

A natural question arises as to whether the Komodo monitor lizard can kill a woman, a man or a teenager? The answer, unfortunately, is positive. The lethality of a lizard bite exceeds 90%. The poison is especially dangerous for a child.

But modern medicine has an antidote. Therefore, in case of an unsuccessful attempt to make friends with a monitor lizard, you should immediately go to the hospital. The death of a person from a bite in our time is not such a common occurrence. As a rule, it occurs if a person hopes that he will be able to cope with an indisposition. Doctors strongly recommend not to take risks, human immunity is not designed for such loads as the poison of an exotic lizard.

This should be remembered not only by tourists, but also by those who decide to settle an unusual pet at home. In the intensive care unit of the district hospital, there may simply not be the necessary antidote, so prior consultation with a competent breeder is essential.

Monitor lizards in the reserve

No matter how sad it may sound, the formidable predator takes its place in the Red Book. Monitor lizards are protected at the state level. But the islands of Komodo, Flores, Gili Motang and Rincha have created huge reserves in which the giants live for their own pleasure. Despite the security and the work of a team of professionals, cases of attacks on people are sometimes recorded. Often this is due to excessive human attention to eating or fighting predators. Camera flash or noise can provoke an attack.

Therefore, if you set out to admire the Komodo monitor lizards, follow the rules of the reserve and listen to the instructor's advice.

The halo of mystery surrounding the Komodo, or Komodo, monitor lizards 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 secretive way of life from scientists and their love to feast on corpses, including human ones, only added mystics in rare descriptions.

One of the quite 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 uncleaned teeth, and then wait for the microbes and their toxins to do their dirty work.

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

dragons - first of all, the owners of albeit small, but very dangerous poisonous glands, forcing prey to die from blood loss.

Since recently the number of large ungulate mammals in the habitat of dragons has significantly decreased, the average size of individuals has also decreased significantly. But even now, one laceration is enough to lay down a mammal that is much larger than a monitor lizard. It remains only to guess who the megalanias were hunting for, if their poisonous glands were 5 times larger than those of Komodo dragons and could simultaneously release up to 1.2 mg of poison.

Is the monitor lizard poisonous?

Now it is believed that monitor lizards are not poisonous. And local inflammatory phenomena in the wound are associated with the introduction of microbes into human tissues during a bite, and these microbes multiply in large numbers on the remnants of food that have stuck to the monitor lizard's teeth.

When I once again poured the vitamin mixture into the throat of a weakened monitor lizard from a syringe, the “lizard” inadvertently closed its jaws on my hand. I ignored the deep enough bite and fed the reptile. About twenty minutes later I had swollen lymph nodes in the armpit on the side of the bite. There were dizziness and chills, which disappeared by the evening, but they were replaced by a persistent headache and severe nausea. The next morning I got up healthy, not counting the enlarged and slightly painful lymph nodes, but these deviations also disappeared within a few days. The most interesting thing is that later, when I received bites from other monitor lizards, I no longer had such reactions.

The almost instantly developed reaction to a bite could not be caused only by a microbial factor, since in such a short time the immune response simply would not have time to develop. A reaction from the lymph nodes cannot appear either - the microbes will not have time to reach the axillary lymph nodes, moving through the lymphatic ducts and blood vessels. I also exclude the toxic effect of microbial waste products, since there were practically no inflammatory changes at the bite site, but only the wounds from my pet's long teeth were clearly visible.

There remains only one mechanism of action - the direct toxic effect of some toxic components of the monitor lizard saliva.

Indirectly, in favor of my hypothesis, there is complete anergy (insensitivity) to subsequent bites of monitor lizards, including those of other species, which is associated with the development of immunocompetent antibodies to this "poison". And the regular bites that I received while working with these reptiles contributed to the constant “stimulation” of the immune system and the maintenance of antibodies specific to the toxic components of the poison at such a high level that it completely inactivated the action of the toxin.