The Komodo dragon, also referred to as the Komodo monitor, is the most important lizard of our time. Moreover, this isn’t a innocent lizard that feeds on grass and fruits, however an actual merciless predator. On account of the Komodo monitor lizards, dozens of killed individuals arrive yearly.
This miracle lives on only some small islands in Indonesia. Recently, its vary has been shrinking, dragon hunters are actively killing monitor lizards.
The monitor lizard is de facto giant – the common size of adults is 2-3 meters, and the load is 30-70 kg. But there are additionally giants weighing greater than a centner. Interestingly, throughout a meal, Komodo dragons can double their weight.
The largest animals of their islands – wild boars, buffaloes, and horses – develop into the premise of the eating regimen of monitor lizards. Yes, southern dragons don’t disdain cannibalism and can devour a weaker relative with out issues. The prey could be ten instances bigger than the monitor lizard – it doesn’t hassle it in any respect.
The monitor lizard sneaks up on the supposed sufferer and hits the legs with a heavy tail. Such a blow merely grinds the bones of the legs, and to complete off the helplessly mendacity prey is a matter of approach. If it isn’t attainable to overwhelm the article of the hunt the primary time, the monitor lizard will circle round it, making an attempt to inflict lacerations and tearing the tendons.
Previously, there was a model that the saliva of monitor lizards incorporates an enormous quantity of pathogenic micro organism which are utterly innocent to the host, and the sufferer from the slightest chew causes demise from sepsis. But now it’s identified that they don’t have any dangerous micro organism of their mouths, however the chew of a monitor lizard is toxic. True, the poison is slightly weak and doesn’t play a job in searching, in response to scientists, the monitor wants it to digest meals.
The query of procreation can also be raised amongst dragons on a correct scale. For the feminine, monitor lizards combat superbly and cruelly – large males stand on their hind legs and start to tear one another in full. The loser crawls away from the place of the combat, normally with many wounds.
The feminine lays as much as 20 eggs in a pile of rotting vegetation. This expertise is utilized by many reptiles. Indeed, when rotting, warmth is launched and a form of incubator for cold-blooded monitor lizards is obtained. And the feminine additionally rigorously shops its clutch.
Young monitor lizards are pressured to behave very quietly and modestly for the primary ten years, hiding in timber and feeding on bugs and birds. Lead in childhood, they’re small and weak sufficient and signify a wonderful delicacy for big relations who’re capable of dwell as much as 60 years.
And yet another fascinating truth. The ancestors of the Komodo monitor lizards got here to the islands from Australia 3-4 million years in the past. And on the continent, there have been relations – megalania (7-9 meters lengthy). So, monitor lizards in these days had been additionally a lot bigger, they simply needed to adapt and the impact of island dwarfism labored, evolution made the Komodo dragons shrink!
