. Komodo Dragon
. (Varanus komodoensis)
:// Habitat:
. Semi-arid islands
:// Range:
. Komodo Island
. Three nearby islands of the Indonesian Archipelago
:// Population:
. About 3,000
The world’s largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon measures 10 feet in length and weighs well over 200 pounds. It reigns as chief predator on four islands, dining primarily on deer and wild boar, but also eating other Komodos and the occasional human. Even its bacteria-packed saliva is lethal, but most victims don’t last that long. The Komodo dragon is capable of taking prey up to 15 times its size, unhinging its jaws to swallow food larger than its head, and downing as much as 80 percent of its weight in a single meal.
