distmouncaitink.tk Animals that escape the jaws of a Komodo will only feel lucky briefly. Dragons can calmly follow an escapee for miles as the venom takes effect, using their keen sense of smell to hone in on the corpse. A dragon can eat a whopping 80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding. However, a dearth of egg-laying females, poaching, human encroachment, and natural disasters have threaten the species' population. These big, scaly predators seem like relics of an earlier time.
For her article in National Geographic magazine , Jennifer S. Holland spent time among Komodo dragons, learning about their lifestyle and the ways they bring down prey. Read Caption. A Komodo dragon photographed at Houston Zoo in Texas. Komodo Dragon. Continue Reading. This lizard's large, curved and serrated teeth are its deadliest weapon, tearing flesh with efficiency. The tooth serrations hold bits of meat from its most recent meal, and this protein-rich residue supports large numbers of bacteria. Some 50 different bacterial strains, at least seven of which are highly septic, have been found in the saliva.
Researchers have also documented a venom gland in the dragon's lower jaw. The Komodo's bite may be deadly, but not to another Komodo dragon. Those wounded while sparring with each other appear to be unaffected by the bacteria and venom.
Scientists are searching for antibodies in Komodo dragon blood that may be responsible. The lizard's throat and neck muscles allow it to rapidly swallow huge chunks of meat. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge, open its lower jaw unusually wide. The dragon's stomach also easily expands, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal. When threatened, Komodo dragons can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lessen their weight in order to flee.
Komodo dragons are efficient eaters, leaving behind only about 12 percent of their prey.
They eat bones, hooves and sections of hide, as well as intestines after swinging them to dislodge their contents. Because large Komodos cannibalize young ones, the young often roll in fecal material, thereby assuming a scent that the large dragons are programmed to avoid. Young dragons also undergo rituals of appeasement, with the smaller lizards pacing around a feeding circle in a stately ritualized walk.
Their tail is stuck straight out and they throw their body from side to side with exaggerated convulsions. Determining the sex of a Komodo dragon is challenging for researchers, as no obvious morphological differences distinguish males from females. One subtle clue is a slight difference in the arrangement of scales just in front of the cloaca.
Courtship opportunities arise when groups assemble around carrion to feed, and mating occurs between May and August. Dominant males compete for females in ritual combat.
Using their tails for support, they wrestle in upright postures, grabbing each other with their forelegs as they attempt to throw the opponent to the ground. Blood is often drawn, and the loser either runs away or remains prone and motionless. Additionally, unfertilized eggs may have a second chance with subsequent mating. No evidence of parental care for newly hatched Komodos exists. The hatchlings weigh less than 3. At 5 years old, they weigh about 55 pounds 25 kilograms and average 6. At this time, they begin to hunt larger prey.
They continue to grow slowly throughout their lives. They escape the heat of the day and seek refuge at night in burrows that are just barely large enough for them.
While they have been hunted legally and illegally , their population decline is due to their limited range. Komodo National Park, established in , and strict anti-poaching laws have helped protect the dragons, although illegal activity still takes place.
Villagers sometimes poison carrion bait to reduce the population, much like ranchers of the American West poison sheep carcasses to rid the area of coyotes and mountain lions. The Dutch colonial government instituted protection plans as early as Each year, more than 18, people travel to Indonesia to visit sites that still have these animals. Skip to main content. Google Tag Manager. Coming Soon. Giant Panda Cam. Veterinarians at the Zoo save animals every day, and we want to help them deliver even faster care. With a new Mobile Vet Unit, vets can bring the hospital to the animals.
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