The Dragons of Komodo

Heather JacksonEDUC 373.001Mr. Sandrick

My Experience

• This summer two Komodo Dragons were lent to the Indianapolis Zoo as a special exhibit. My father and I visited them before I moved down to USI.

Questions that Arose

• What do Komodo Dragons eat?• How much do Komodo Dragons

weigh on average?• Where do they live?• Do they lay eggs or live birth?• What is their saliva made of?• What is their status and how large of

a population is there?

What do Komodo Dragons eat?

• The adults eat carrion and regularly eat animals as big as pigs and deer. They can also bring down an adult water buffalo.

• The babies eat insects, birds, eggs, small mammals, and other lizards

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

How Much Do Komodo Dragons Weigh on Average?

• Komodo dragons are the heaviest living lizard.

• Male Komodo dragons grow to be 10 ft and weith 200 lbs.

• Female Komodo Dragons grow to be 8ft and weigh about 150 lbs.

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Where Do They Live?

• Komodo Dragons live on the Lesser Sunda Islands of Rinca, Komodo, Flores, and the smaller islands Gili, Montang, and Padar.

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Do They Lay Eggs or Give Live Birth?

• Komodo Dragons lay eggs, up to 30 of them!

• Komodo Dragons have a life expectancy of 20 to 40 years.

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

What is Their Saliva Made of?

• “The Komodos mouth is full of virulent bacteria and even if its prey survives the original attack, it will die of infection later. In addition, recent research3,4 suggests that the Komodos have a venom gland which is more important in disabling their prey.”

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

What is Komodo Dragons status and How Large is Their Current Population?

• Komodo Dragons are an endagered species.

• The biggest threat is volcanic activity, fire and loss of prey base.

• Current Wild population is 3,000 to 5,000.

• Taken from: http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

Connection to Indicators• 5.4.4-Explain that in any particular environment, some kinds of

plants and animals survive well, some do not survive as well, and some cannot survive at all

• 5.4.5-Explain how changes in an organism's habitat are sometimes beneficial and sometimes harmful.

• 5.4.7-Explain that living things, such as plants and animals, differ in their characteristics, and that sometimes these differences can give members of these groups (plants and animals) an advantage in surviving and reproducing.

• 6.4.3-Describe some of the great variety of body plans and internal structures animals and plants have that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce

• 6.4.4-Recognize and describe that a species comprises all organisms that can mate with one another to produce fertile offspring

Resources• Honolulu Zoo:

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm

• National Geographic: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon.html

• Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon

• Komodo Dragon Central: http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/komodo/

• Glaser, Jason. (2006) Komodo Dragons. Mankato, Minn. Capstone Press.