MEET A KOMODO DRAGON AS IT HUNTS PREY THREE TIMES ITS SIZE
THE SUN SHINES BRIGHTLY OVER KOMODO ISLAND A KOMODO DRAGON LURKS IN THE SHADOWS IT CATCHES THE SCENT OF A WATER BUFFALO SEVERAL MILES AWAY THE GIANT LIZARD MAKES ITS WAY TO THE BUFFALO IT COMES UP BEHIND THE HUGE MAMMAL THE DRAGON SINKS ITS TEETH INTO THE BUFFALO S ANKLE ITS POWERFUL JAWS PULL MUSCLE FROM BONE THE BUFFALO KICKS ITSELF FREE IT LIMPS AWAY BUT BLOOD LOSS AND THE DRAGON S VENOM START SLOWLY KILLING THE ANIMAL THE LIZARD PATIENTLY FOLLOWS THE BUFFALO AFTER FIVE DAYS THE GIANT BEAST FALLS DEAD IT S CHOW TIME FOR THE DRAGON
CREATURE FEATURE NAME Komodo dragon NICKNAMES Land crocodile monitor lizard goanna CLASS Reptilia SIZE 6 5 to 10 feet 2 to 3 m long WEIGHT 150 to 350 pounds 68 to 160 kg COLORATION Black brown grayish red grayish yellow LIFE SPAN Up to 50 years MONSTROUS CHARACTERISTICS Toxic venom Serrated curved teeth Massive prehistoric looking body Forked tongue Sharp claws
Komodo Dragon Range INDONESIA NATION OF ISLANDS MAP KEY FLORES RINCA KOMODO INDIAN OCEAN GILA MOTANG Range Lesser Sunda Islands Indonesia Komodo Rinca Gila Motang and Flores Diet Deer wild boars small rodents water buffalo and even other Komodo dragons FUN FACT In 1926 W Douglas Burden led an expedition to capture Komodo dragons for a museum This event inspired the classic 1933 movie King Kong
