The Komodo dragon, also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat, scavenging for carcasses or stalking animals that range in size from small rodents to large water buffalo. Young feed primarily on small lizards and insects, as well as snakes and birds.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. Diet. As the dominant predators on the handful of islands they inhabit, Komodo dragons will eat almost anything, including carrion, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even large water buffalo. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in wait for passing prey. Komodo dragons have a tail as long as their body and a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue. Their skin is usually gray in color reinforced by armored scales, which contain tiny bones called osteoderms that function as a sort of natural chain mail. This rugged hide makes Komodo dragon skin a poor source of leather. Additionally, these osteoderms become more extensive and variable in shape as the Komodo dragon ages, ossifying more extensively as the lizard grows. These osteoderms are absent in hatchlings and juveniles, indicating that the natural armor develops as a product of age and competition between adults for protection in combats over food and mates.

Speed: 12 mph (Maximum, On Land, Sprint)

Mass: 170 – 200 lbs (Male, Adult), 150 – 160 lbs (Female, Adult)

Length: 8.5 ft. (Male, Adult), 7.5 ft. (Female, Adult)

Scientific name: Varanus komodoensis

Clutch size: 20

Family: Varanidae

Kingdom: Animalia