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Table of Contents
Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), or Komodo monitors, are the largest, heaviest lizards in the world.The name comes from rumors that a dragon-like creature lived on the Indonesian island of Komodo.
See the fact file below for more information on the Komodo dragons or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Komodo Dragon worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
- Komodo dragons are the world’s heaviest living lizards. They can grow to a length of 10 feet (over 3 meters), with an average length of 8 feet (2.5 meters) and weight of 200 lbs (91 kg). Females are usually under 8 feet and weigh about 150 lbs (68 kg).
- The Komodo dragon’s keen sense of smell, if aided by favorable wind, enables it to seek out carrion up to 5 miles (8.5 kilometers) away. Despite its size, the Komodo is fast moving and agile.
- They can climb trees and, like all monitor lizards, are good swimmers. They have about 60 teeth that they replace frequently and are positioned to cut out chunks of its prey.
HABITAT
- Komodos are very rare and are found in the wild only on five islands, the Lesser Sunda Islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami all within Komodo National Park and the island of Flores, where they roam freely.
- The lizard’s habitat can be anything from a tropical dry forest to a savanna to a deciduous monsoon forest.
BEHAVIOR
- In the wild, Komodo dragons are generally solitary animals, except during the breeding season.
- Males maintain and defend a territory and patrol up to 1.2 miles (2 km) per day. Territories are dependent on the size of the dragon. A dragon will allow other dragons to cross its territory when they are on a food run.
- Dragons maintain burrows within their core ranges and occasionally, males swim from island to island over long distances.
DIET
- Komodo dragons are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. They are such fierce hunters that they can eat very large prey, such as large water buffalo, deer, carrion, pigs, and even humans.
- They also eat smaller dragons. They can eat 80 percent of their body weight in one feeding.
- The Komodo has a unique way of killing its prey. First, it springs up and knocks the prey over with its huge feet. Then they use their sharp, serrated teeth which are a lot like a shark’s to shred their prey to death.
OFFSPRING
- Komodo dragons mate between May and August and females lay about 30 eggs each in September.
- Komodo dragon mothers build decoy nests to confuse predators and keep her eggs safe. Then they incubate the grapefruit-sized eggs for around three months. This group of eggs is called a clutch.
- Female Komodo Dragons can have virgin births. This means that they don’t need a male to fertilize an egg for it to hatch. Creating offspring without the help of the opposite gender is called asexual reproduction. Komodo dragons can reproduce through both sexual and asexual reproduction.
CONSERVATION
- According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, the Komodo dragon is not endangered, but it is considered vulnerable.
- The World Animal Foundation estimates the number of Komodos in the wild to be 6,000. This population is split among the islands, with 1,700 on Komodo, 1,300 on Rinca, 100 on Gili Motang, and around 2,000 on Flores. They are protected within the Komodo National Park.
- Authorities are considering banning tourists from Komodo, the island home of the ancient Komodo dragon, to allow for conservation efforts amid concerns over animal-smuggling.
Komodo Dragon Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Komodo dragons across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Komodo Dragon worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis), or Komodo monitors, which are the largest, heaviest lizards in the world.The name comes from rumors that a dragon-like creature lived on the Indonesian island of Komodo.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Komodo Dragon Facts
- Komodo Dragon’s World
- Completing the Facts
- Researching About It
- Komodo and their Offspring
- Find the Komodo Dragons
- Number Match
- Scrapbook Snapshot
- Status: Vulnerable
- Supply the Meaning
- Conservation
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Link will appear as Komodo Dragon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 24, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.