Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoensis

The Komodo Dragon is a monitor lizard and is the largest living species of lizard, growing up to some 3 metres (10 feet) length.

It is native to the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, including the island of Komodo but also four other islands. Its limited habitat and illegal trophy hunting has made it endangered.

The female Komodo in captivity has been proven to be able to produce male offspring from unfertilised eggs (parthenogenesis).

Monitor lizards have forked tongues like snakes to "taste" their environment. Komodo Dragons also have iron-tipped teeth.

They can live for 50 years. Juvenile Komodos, above, are still very large lizards.

This massive lizard is a carnivore and its saliva contains venom* that will kill most prey that escapes, allowing it to be tracked down as carrion. Usual prey is large mammals and it consumes fur, hooves, horns and everything except the herbivorous stomach contents. It will eat other (young or sick) komodos but they are immune to the venom. It can kill (and has killed) adult humans.

* It was thought that the saliva contained deadly bacteria that would eventually kill prey from the infection but science has recently proved that it is indeed a venom that prevents blood from clotting, causing rapid blood loss from the wound(s).