Their sense of hearing and sight, however, are less than impressive.Ħ) Their tails are as long as their bodies

They can detect a rotting prey from 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away. The main island that is home to the largest amount of komodo dragons in the world is named after these lizards it is so-named Komodo Island.Ĥ) Komodo dragons may have originated in AustraliaĪccording to various research publications, including that of the prestigious Smithsonian magazine, there is new fossil evidence that suggests the komodo dragon originated in Australia! Numerous fossils were unearthed by a team of international scientists in eastern Australia, dating back from 300,000 years ago to roughly 4 million years ago, that are identical to current-day komodo dragons.Īs with most reptiles, the komodo dragons use their forked tongues instead of noses to smell. Four of these islands make up what is known as Komodo National Park, and the fifth island is that of Flores. Komodo dragons are only present on five Indonesian islands, and in no other country in the world. It used to be believed that these lizards had various strains of bacteria in their saliva that killed prey, but this theory was discredited by the University of Queensland and it is now believed that they secrete venom proteins similar to that of venomous snakes. Komodo dragons are known for their notorious, venomous hunting strikes. They’re heavy, too – they can weigh up to 154 pounds on average, but have been weighed up to 135 kilograms, which is approximately the same weight as a panda bear! These lizards can grow up to ten feet long (three meters), approximately the length of a small car. Komodo dragons are in fact, lizards, and they are by far the largest lizards on Earth.

Check out these 10 amazing facts about komodo dragons: 1) Komodo dragons are not dragons Their name itself draws a large amount of attention, but there is much more to these animals than just the name. Komodo dragons are a mysterious, fascinating wildlife species.

Words for baby comodo dragon