Where does the giant monitor lizard live? What does a monitor lizard eat?

The Komodo dragon is sometimes called the Komodo dragon, and for good reason. This prehistoric predator with its appearance and size it really reminds us of mythical dragons. Komodo dragon is one of the largest living reptiles and is the largest modern lizard. The massive body of this monster can reach more than 3 meters, but most often its length is 2-3 meters. These monitor lizards usually weigh about 80 kg, but can be much heavier - approximately 165 kg.
This dinosaur of our days is very impressively armed. Its skull averages about 21 cm in length, and its huge mouth contains many large teeth with jagged edges that are flattened laterally and curved back. Each tooth is a kind of cutting knife. With such teeth, an animal can easily tear out pieces of meat from its victim. The monitor lizard does not have chewing teeth; all its teeth are of the same conical shape, so it practically does not chew, and when tearing off pieces of meat, it simply swallows them. The structure of the skull and pharynx allows this reptile to swallow very large pieces.
In addition to its terrifying teeth, the Komodo dragon is armed with long, hook-shaped claws and a truly terrifying tail. A blow from such a tail can knock an adult off his feet and cause him serious injuries. When monitor lizards fight among themselves, for example over prey or a female, they stand on their hind legs, wrapping their paws around each other and bite each other, while simultaneously trying to overcome their opponent. Although, it must be said that they rarely fight over prey. On the island Komodo monitors They are specially fed for the amusement of tourists. Several monitor lizards can easily devour a deer carcass. These huge lizards do not attack people, but they potentially pose a serious danger. There are reliable cases of attacks by these reptiles on humans. Not only is the bite of a Komodo dragon extremely dangerous in itself, but its mouth contains many microbes that can cause blood poisoning.
In addition to the Komodo Island itself, which is lost among the many islands of the Indonesian archipelago, the Komodo dragon lives on the islands of Flores, Rindja and Padar. All these islands are quite small and difficult to distinguish on the map. And the Komodo dragon is not found anywhere else in the world, so this type protected by law. It would be a real crime if this reptile, which has come down to us from the depths of many millions of years, disappears from the face of the earth now, in the 21st century AD.
Throughout its entire habitat, the Komodo dragon is the dominant predator. None of the animals living side by side with him can compare with him in strength. The diet of the giant monitor lizard is based on deer and wild pigs. In addition, it feeds on other, smaller animals, as well as carrion.
Monitor lizards search for prey using vision, as well as their unusual language. With its forked tongue, the monitor lizard perceives the slightest odor particles left by the victim and analyzes them using the Jacobson's organ, which communicates with the oral cavity. Having discovered its prey, the monitor lizard creeps up to it at a suitable distance and then makes a swift lunge. Despite its clumsy appearance, the Komodo dragon is capable of developing unexpected speed for such a huge lizard. In principle, a Komodo dragon can catch up with a person, although a lot depends on the person himself - how fast he runs.
Mating of Komodo dragons usually occurs in July and is accompanied by fierce battles between males. In August, the female lays more than two dozen eggs, which she usually buries in the ground or hides in a hole. After about 8-8.5 months, the eggs hatch into babies that grow very quickly. They are very timid and run away at the slightest danger. Not like adults, monitor lizards are excellent at climbing trees and often climb them to escape. Young monitor lizards are brighter colored than adults. Over the years, they acquire a darker, greenish-brown color. The lifespan of the Komodo dragon is about 50 years.
In captivity, Komodo dragons quite easily get used to humans and become tame. It seems to me that monitor lizards are the most highly developed reptiles, after crocodiles. There are cases when tame monitor lizards responded to their nickname.

Classification:

Class: Reptilia (reptiles, or reptiles)
Order: Squamata (scaly)
Suborder: Lacertilia (lizards)
Family: Varanidae (monitors)
Genus: Varanus (monitor lizards)
Species: Varanus komodoensis (Komodo dragon)

Photos.

The Komodo monitor lizard is the largest reptile of the living lizards belonging to the Scaly order and directly related to the Varanidae family.

This species of lizard can reach more than three meters in length; can you imagine a reptile longer than an ordinary small car? To be honest, it’s a bit difficult for us :-).

The world first learned about them in 1912, and before that time, local residents neighboring the island of Komodo, where these huge lizards currently live, called them terrestrial.

Sharp claws on its powerful paws and an elastic 1.5 tail make the victim tremble at the mere sight of this ruthless and ferocious predator.

Appearance

Unlike its fellow giant, the Komodo lizard is much larger, stronger and more cunning. Females of this species are slightly smaller than males. The length of an adult male can reach up to 3 meters, but these are rare specimens, usually the average size is no more than 2.6 meters.

The weight of an average male does not exceed 95 kg, the weight of a female is 78 kg. The largest male with a body length of up to three meters can weigh up to 147 kg, but we must take into account the fact that he could have had a good lunch before weighing, so the real weight will be when we subtract from total mass 17-20 kg.

The body color of the island giant is dark rusty with amber spots mixed with specks. Young animals are slightly lighter in color, have reddish-orange spots on their ridges, and they reluctantly merge into thin stripes on the neck and tail.

On the front and rear edges of its teeth, which are laterally compressed, have serrated and cutting edges. This shape of the teeth helps it tear out large pieces of meat from a dead carcass.

The long forked tongue plays the most important role in searching for food. He is able to recognize the scent of a potential victim at a distance of more than 9.5 kilometers.

Its four limbs are well developed, moreover, they are equipped with curved claws about 10 cm long, capable of inflicting mortal wounds even on such a formidable animal as.

Habitat

This species of reptile lives only on the Indonesian islands. Let's be a little more specific and call all the islands by name:

Gili Mota;
Komodo;
Rindja;
Flores;
Padar;
Ovadi Sami;

Some islands are located close to northern Australia. Scientists have suggested that this species of lizards previously lived in Australia, then, for unknown reasons, migrated to the aforementioned neighboring islands about 900 years ago.

Habitat

All the islands on which this reptile species lives have a mountainous and rocky structure, and there is also a minor tropical jungle with a cultural landscape.

Lifestyle

The Komodo dragon leads a solitary lifestyle, prefers to sleep at night, having found dill, dry and warm place, and in the morning, when the warm rays heat his body to the required temperature, he goes out fishing.

An undisturbed animal moves slowly, raising its head slightly upward, and its tail is in an elevated state. If you try to catch it, it immediately becomes aggressive, delivering numerous blows with its powerful tail trying to knock down the enemy.

He is an excellent sprinter and can compete over short distances with. It can also easily catch up with a running person. The speed while chasing prey can reach up to 23 km/h. On maximum speed he cannot move for long, so he prefers to guard his prey in ambush and attack it at the most opportune moment for him.

Juveniles spend a lot of time in trees. It is difficult for adult lizards to climb a tree due to their enormous body mass, but if they need to catch prey, they can his tail, on which he operates while climbing, can help with this.

After a meal, young animals spend time in trees and tree hollows, while adults and old animals give their preference to rocky crevices or wet holes in the tropical forest.

Nutrition

The diet of this animal is quite varied, and it does not disdain carrion. The daily menu of an adult animal includes:

Deer;
Birds;

In addition to the above diet, young individuals can also eat small birds.

Hunting

We have already mentioned in passing the fact that adults run fast, but only at short distances, young animals, due to their low weight, are much stronger and faster.

For hunting, this species has developed special tactics that allow them to get a wonderful meal with minimal energy consumption. Having approached the prey as close as possible, it freezes and waits for the prey to approach it.

Then it lunges at the victim and knocks it to the ground with its powerful jaws. Having fixed the animal with your teeth and paws, shaking your head in different sides, he tears off large pieces of meat and immediately swallows them. It’s curious, but after the animal is satisfied, it licks the remaining part of the carcass with its bloody tongue. This is probably the behavior of the animal that is associated with the stories about the “fire-breathing dragon.”

Reproduction

The mating season of monitor lizards begins at the end of June. During this period, fierce fights occur between males, during which they can injure their opponents, even to the point of death. This is justified, because the better the male’s territory, the greater the likelihood that the female will go to him.

A fertilized female lays more than 30 eggs in the ground at the end of July, and then carefully buries them for more than 8 months. The sun will do the rest of the work, its rays heat earth's surface to the desired temperature. After eight months, small lizards no more than 27-30 cm long hatch. Once out, the tiny lizards become vulnerable because they can safely dine on them:

And even large individuals of a related species;

The young are quite timid; the slightest rustle makes them hide under stones and in trees. Having survived three summer period, its body length is more than one meter in length, and it no longer has to be so timid. By the age of five, the length of his body has doubled and he is ready to mate.

Red Book

This taxon is not currently threatened. Let's assume this is due to the fact that there are no people living on the islands. The approximate number of monitor lizards living on all the islands combined reaches more than 5,100 individuals.

Lifespan

On uninhabited islands, the monitor lizard lives from 24 to 37 years.

The largest Komodo dragon lived at the St. Louis Zoo. its length was more than 3 meters and 15 cm, and its weight reached 167 kg.
One adult lizard can eat a large deer alone, but after that it takes a whole week to digest it.
The appearance of the egg of this lizard resembles that of a goose, but it is covered with a leathery surface.
The length of the tail of this predator is exactly half of its total length.
If several monitor lizards gather near the prey, then a complete hierarchy reigns among them.

The Komodo dragon is one of the largest lizards in the world, belonging to the Varanova family, the Scaly order. In terms of size, it is comparable only to crocodiles, although it has no relationship with them. They live naturally on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Flores. Locals call this reptile the “Komodo Dragon”, “Land Crocodile”. According to research data, Australia is considered its historical homeland. Gradually he migrated to neighboring islands.

Monitor lizard: description, characteristics

There is no reliable information about the origin of the Komodo dragon. Only it was classified as an animal fossil. The approximate time when dragons appeared on Earth is 5–10 million years ago. This is due to the fact that paleontologists The remains of the first representative of this species were found in the ancient layers of the Australian Peninsula. It is unclear how he managed to move to another territory.

Appearance of a Komodo dragon

The size of these predatory reptiles is truly impressive. A wild Komodo dragon as an adult weighs about 75–90 kg at medium length 2.5–2.6 m. Males are much larger than females. According to statistical data Weight Limit females - 68–70 kg, with a length of 2.3 m. In an artificial habitat, the animal can reach more impressive dimensions. One such example is the pet of the zoo in St. Louis: weighing 166 kg, with a body length of 3.14 m.

Today the population large monitor lizards is declining, which is associated with degradation. And the reason for this is the poor nutritional diet in places natural habitat and mass poaching.

They have a squat, dense build with muscular limbs. The location on the sides and long claws contribute to convenient hunting and fast movement. Also, such paws are convenient for tearing out deep holes. They have a large tail, often comparable in size to the body. Unlike lizards, they do not throw it off when in danger, but begin to hit it to the sides. The head is flat, on a short massive neck. Looking at it from the front or in profile, associations with a snake appear.

The skin consists of two layers: scaly- basic, with the overlay of small ossified growths. Young representatives are brighter in color. Orange-yellowish spotting is observed along the entire outer length, ending with stripes on the neck and tail. In a mature state, the skin is transformed, repainted in a gray-brown color with small yellow speckles.

The teeth are like peaks, sharp and long, one side attached to the jaw bones. This is an ideal device for tearing prey apart. The tongue is very long, sinuous, with a fork at the end.

Where does the monitor lizard live and behavior in the wild?

Today, populations of monitor lizards are inhabited in five Indonesian regions. islands: Komodo, Gili Motang, Rindja, Padan and Flores. Selects land that is well heated sun rays: savannas, plains, tropical forests. On hot days it moves closer to the water, with shady thickets.

The Komodo dragon is not used to grouping with its fellows and leads a separate life. They group only during the mating season or in search of food. Even then, they are constantly in compromise. They are active only during the daytime, and at night they sleep soundly in shelters, although there are exceptions to the rule.

Row features monitor lizards:

The bite of a monitor lizard can become tragic. This is caused by the presence in saliva of a large accumulation of diaphoretic bacteria that cause blood poisoning. It is believed that this is due to eating carrion. Poisonous glands were recently discovered in the animal’s mouth. If they enter the human bloodstream, they can cause: dizziness, loss of consciousness, muscle paralysis.

In captivity, monitor lizards live much shorter, no more than 25 years. But in the wild areola - 35–60 years.

Lizard nutrition

Varan is the king and god in his domain, as he is able to cope with all large game. He does not give in to a gecko or a boa constrictor, but is not averse to feasting on small representatives. There are frequent cases of attacks from him: on horses, cows, buffaloes, deer, sheep. There were eyewitnesses who claimed that the predator easily coped with a mammal weighing 1200 kg. First, it bites through the tendons, immobilizing the victim, and then gradually begins to eat.

During dry periods he fasts, but during rainy periods he eats everything. This species has signs of cannibalism. This is especially evident when shortage food. Large individuals eat small counterparts. He does not even disdain the remains washed ashore.

How does it reproduce

The mating season for monitor lizards begins in winter, during the dry period. Since the number of males predominates, there is a competitive struggle for each female. The fighters walk like a wall at each other, standing on their hind legs. They make a grab with their front ones. The strongest throws the opponent onto his back and begins to scratch him intensely. The defeated one has to retreat in disgrace. And the winner leaves with the female to mate.

These are quite passionate lovers who, at the moment of intimacy, begin to rub against their partner’s head and scratch their back and tail. He must be on top. This is how he shows his superiority. After fertilized The lizard leaves to look for a place to lay eggs. Usually these are weed nests, leaves, compost heaps. Having dug a deep hole, it lays up to 20–25 eggs there, each weighing up to 200 g. After 8 months, the babies hatch. And all this time the mother serves as reliable protection. To avoid eating their young, lizards climb to the top of the tree. There they stay for the first 2 years, until the monitor lizards grow up.

In addition to sexual fertilization, they are characterized by parthenogenesis. Postponed unfertilized eggs from which only males hatch.

Predators have no idea potential danger for an adult. However, there have been recorded cases of attacks by lizards when, due to some signs, they were confused with prey. Let's introduce some notable precedents, taking place:

The bite of a Komodo dragon is not only painful and traumatic, but also causes toxic defeat blood. Without timely medical care leads to death.
During dry and hungry seasons, lizards become more aggressive. They are not afraid to approach human habitation; they are attracted by the smell food waste. In this state they can attack small children. Even local burials become a source of food for them. Therefore, the inhabitants of the islands began to cover the dead with stone slabs.
There have been cases when giants attacked groups of tourists. With their keen sense of smell, they could smell blood from a great distance.
In moments of danger, they can empty the esophagus with lightning speed. This gives them mobility.

Due to the fact that these predatory reptiles are protected, killing them is prohibited. To get rid of aggressors, specially trained huntsmen conduct individual catches. Then the lizards are resettled in other, sparsely populated regions of the islands.

Dragon from Komodo Island (lat. Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor lizard, also known as the giant Indonesian monitor lizard, is a lizard with the most impressive dimensions in the world.

flickr/Antoni Sesen

The average weight of the giant is 90 kg, and the body length is, accordingly, 2.5 m, while the tail occupies almost half of the body. And the length of the most powerful specimen, the parameters of which were officially recorded, exceeded 3 meters and weighed 160 kg.

The appearance of the Komodo dragon is most interesting - either a lizard, or a dragon, or a dinosaur. And the island aborigines believe that this creature is most similar to an alligator, and therefore they call it buaya darat, which translated from the local dialect means land crocodile. And although the Komodo dragon has only one head and does not spew out flames from its nostrils, there is undoubtedly something aggressive in the appearance of this reptile.

This impression is reinforced by the color of the monitor lizard - dark brown, with yellowish splashes, and (especially!) appearance teeth - compressed from the sides, with cutting, jagged edges. A quick glance at this perfect arsenal, which is a “dragon” jaw, is enough to understand: the Komodo dragon is not to be trifled with. With more than 60 teeth and a jaw structure reminiscent of a shark's mouth, isn't this the perfect killing machine?

What makes up the diet of a giant reptile? No, no, monitor lizards have only external similarities with vegetarian dinosaurs: the gastronomic preferences of the Komodo dragon are strikingly different from the food preferences ancient ancestor. The lizard's tastes are distinguished by an enviable variety: it does not disdain carrion and readily absorbs any living creature - from insects and birds to horses, buffaloes, deer and even its own brothers. Maybe it is for this reason that newborn lizards, having barely hatched, immediately leave their mother, hiding from her in the dense crown of trees?

Indeed, cannibalism is a quite common phenomenon among Komodo dragons: the lunch menu of adult monitor lizards often includes younger, smaller relatives. A hungry monitor lizard can also pose a threat to humans, and there are often cases when the prey matches the attacker in its weight category. How do lizards manage to defeat their prey? Monitor lizards stalk large prey from ambush, and at the moment of attack they either knock down the victim with a powerful blow of the tail, breaking its legs, or bite their teeth into the flesh of a wild boar or deer, inflicting a deadly laceration.

The chances of survival of a wounded animal are scanty, since during a bite dangerous bacteria from the lizard’s mouth, as well as poison from the venom glands of the reptile’s lower jaw, enter its body. The inflammation develops at an accelerated pace, and the Komodo dragon can only wait for the victim to completely lose his strength and be unable to resist. He stubbornly follows the wounded prey, without letting it out of sight. Sometimes such tracking lasts up to three weeks - after that time, a buffalo bitten by a monitor lizard dies.

In the photo there is me, the dragon and a slightly excited Lera :)

Those who want to see these handsome guys in natural environment habitat would have to go to the Indonesian islands, since Komodo dragons live there. However, daredevils who are planning such a trip should be as careful as possible: monitor lizards have a keen sense of smell, and even a tiny drop of blood from a minor scratch on the body can attract a lizard located at a distance of 5 km with its smell. There have been cases of attacks on tourists, so rangers accompanying tourist groups are usually armed with long, strong poles. Just in case.

The dragons of Komodo Island are without a doubt the most stunning animal discovery of the 20th century on planet Earth. In 1912, while flying over the group of Lesser Sunda Islands in , a Dutch pilot was forced to land on the shore of a small desert island due to breakdown. Having settled comfortably on the beach, the pilot began to repair his plane, when he suddenly felt that someone was standing behind him. He turned around and was stunned...

BRIEF CHARACTERISTICS

Kingdom: Animalia.
Phylum: Chordata.
Class: Reptiles (Reptilia).
Squad: Squamates.
Family: Monitor lizards (Varanidae).
Genus: Monitor lizards (Varanus).
Species: Komodo dragon (Varanus komodensis).

WHY IS IT LISTED IN THE RED BOOK

Scientists estimate that there are between 4 and 5 thousand Komodo dragons left on Earth. Why did this happen? There are many reasons: high volcanic activity and pollution environment, and illegal hunting of monitor lizards for their skin and claws, and tourism. Some reptiles die of hunger, as poachers kill animals that are easiest for monitor lizards to hunt. National Park Komodo was founded in 1980 specifically to protect and preserve this unique species.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The Komodo dragon lives in Indonesia, but only on a limited number of islands: Rinca, Gili Motang, Florex and Komodo. By name last place monitor lizard and received the name "Komodo". Scientists believe that the homeland of the species is. Presumably, about 900 thousand years ago, the species penetrated the Indonesian islands, where it successfully took root. These animals avoid meeting people in every possible way.

HOW TO FIND OUT

The Komodo dragon is the most big lizard Earth. IN wildlife The weight of monitor lizards reaches 70 kg, but when kept in captivity they can be much larger. The largest Komodo dragon known to science, reached a body length of 3.13 m and weighed 166 kg. In this case, about half the length is the tail. The skin of monitor lizards is brownish-brown and covered with light yellow specks. The color of young monitor lizards is more intense. On the back and tail of the body they have ocellated spots that can merge and form stripes. Aboriginal people often call the Komodo dragon a “land crocodile.” The nickname is justified by many features external structure reptiles. She has a stocky, squat body, short, widely spaced paws, a flattened head, very sharp, laterally flattened teeth with jagged edges. They help to cope perfectly even with large prey. The long curved claws are impressive! With their help, monitor lizards dig deep shelter holes and hunt their victims.

LIFESTYLE AND BIOLOGY

The Komodo dragon leads a solitary lifestyle. He is quite secretive and does not like company. Only occasionally, for example in mating season or while searching for food, monitor lizards unite in small groups. The rest of the time, each individual prefers to take care of itself independently.

The Komodo dragon is highly temperature dependent. Therefore, many features of his life are influenced weather conditions. He is active during the day. He spends the night in a shelter, from which, if necessary, he can still leave and go hunting. Komodo dragon - excellent swimmer. It perfectly covers the distances between islands by water. Young individuals spend a lot of time in trees, while older reptiles are more often found on the ground. Despite its apparent clumsiness, the Komodo dragon can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h and get food from a small height, standing on its hind legs and leaning on its tail.

The average life expectancy is 25 years. It is assumed that they can live longer. At about 10 years old, monitor lizards reach sexual maturity. The males fight for the female, and the winner gets the right to continue his family line. The female buries a clutch of 20 eggs in a hole or compost heap. The female remains guarding the nest for eight to nine months, until the babies are born. Immediately after birth, they leave the nest and rush to the trees, where they spend the first few years of their lives.

One that cannot be called a picky eater is the Komodo dragon. He is ready to swallow anything that moves, be it a grasshopper, a frog or a dog. Its impressive size sharp teeth and tenacious claws help him attack even such large animals as a horse or deer. Of course, he is not able to kill the animal right away. But, inflicting wounds on it that carry poison and bacteria, the monitor lizard waits patiently until its victim dies, and only then begins to eat. Monitor lizards do not disdain carrion either. In its environment, the Komodo dragon is the largest and dangerous predator, so he has no one to fear.

The Komodo dragon easily moves from one emotional state to another. A peacefully lying and seemingly calm reptile can become angry and aggressive in a matter of minutes. There are known cases of attacks by Komodo dragons on zoo employees and ordinary people. Therefore, the giant should be treated with extreme caution.

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