Upload
tiara
View
55
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Komodo Dragons. By. Malik Thornton Mrs. Confer Biology First Period. Taxonamy. Order: Squamata Family: Varanidae Genus/species: Varanus komodoensis Komodo Dragons are part of the Monitor lizard family. Facts. They are the largest and heaviest lizard in the world. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Citation preview
Komodo Dragons
By. Malik Thornton Mrs. Confer Biology First Period
Taxonamy Order: Squamata
Family: VaranidaeGenus/species: Varanus komodoensis
Komodo Dragons are part of the Monitor lizard family
Facts They are the largest and heaviest lizard
in the world. A komodo dragon can grow up to 10 feet
long and over 300 pounds. It can run up to 11 mph but tires very
quickly.
Diet Komodo dragons
are carnivores. They are
scavengers so they will eat any type of carrion.
To get live prey a komodo dragon will wait in ambush.
Defense and offensive mechanisms
Komodo dragons have many defensive and offensive mechanisms like their muscular tails which can disable a foe in very few hits.
Their saliva in is full of viruses and bacteria which can easily disable a foe.
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/life-komodo-dragons-hunt-buffalo.html
Reproduction Mating usually occurs
between May and August. The eggs are usually laid in
September. During mating season males
get very territorial. They duel each other for
females by using their tales and standing in upright positions.
The victor then mates with the female.
The female usually lays around thirty eggs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDLqEYvDeyM&feature=player_detailpage
Status and Life Span Komodo dragons on
average live for around 30 years in the wild.
They are currently on the endangered species list.
This is mainly due to their limited range, but also poaching.
Habitat Komodo dragons are
limited to a few volcanic islands in Indonesia of the Lesser Sunda Group including Komodo Island.
They are found in tropical savanna forest from beach to ridge top.
They try to stay cool in the day and hide in burrows at night to keep warm.
Life for a Komodo Dragon They are at the top
of the food chain on the few islands they inhabit.
They can smell food from over 2.5 miles so they are expert hunters.
Life for a Komodo Dragon cont. They rely on stealth
when hunting so they can ambush prey.
They don't eat their pray directlybut wait for their toxic venom to disable it.
Early Life Young komodo
dragons can climb trees.
they face the threat of being ate by bigger dragons.
they have to grow up alone without their mother.
Facts Cont. A Komodo Dragon
lives a life of leisure.
It generally eats two meals a day.
They often hunt alone and are rarely in packs.
Say What!!! Facts Komodo Dragons
were only discovered 100 years ago when a plane crashed near their islands.
Komodo Dragons have been reported to attack humans.
More Intresting facts Unlike other lizards, a
Komodo Dragon keeps one mate in it's life.
Some Komodo Dragons can give birth without mating.
To protect themselves youngsters sometimes rolle in their own feces.
Misc. Facts An old belief of the
Chinese was that the tail of a dragon, when ground into powder, was a powerful medicine. Some thought that it could even stop a person from growing old!
A Komodo Dragon can go through five sets of teeth in it's life.
Bibliography http://nationalzoo.si.edu http://animals.nationalgeographic.com http://www.komododragonfacts.com/facts
.html