Komodo Dragon

Komodo dragons are the closest thing we have to real dragons: 10-foot lizards with armored skin, a venomous bite, and a flickering forked tongue that tastes the air. They live on just a handful of islands in Indonesia and nowhere else on Earth.

Komodo dragons live wild on only a handful of small islands in Indonesia and nowhere else on Earth. They are the largest lizards alive, up to 10 feet long and 300 lb, with rough armored skin, a long muscular tail, strong claws and a bite that carries venom. A forked yellow tongue flicks in and out to taste the air, and by touching it to a special organ in the roof of its mouth a Komodo can follow a scent for miles. Young dragons climb trees to stay safe; adults are too heavy and stay on the ground.

Komodo dragons eat deer, wild pigs, water buffalo and any dead animal they can find, and they are patient hunters. A dragon lies in wait beside a trail, lunges at an animal as it passes and bites, then follows the wounded prey until it weakens. When it eats, it eats hugely — up to 80% of its own body weight in one meal — and then may not need food again for weeks. Komodos can also swim between islands and are surprisingly quick over short distances.

A female Komodo dragon digs a nest, lays a clutch of eggs and guards it for months, but once the babies hatch they are on their own — and they scramble up the nearest tree at once, because adult dragons will eat them. Remarkably, a female kept alone can sometimes lay eggs that hatch without a male, a rare ability called parthenogenesis. Komodo dragons are listed as endangered: their islands are small, and rising seas and human activity are shrinking the little habitat they have.

Here is every komodo dragon fact from this page and the komodo dragon quiz in one list — handy for a school project or a car-ride quiz.

1. Komodo dragons are the largest lizards alive — up to 10 feet long.
2. They flick their forked tongues to "taste" smells in the air from miles away.
3. A Komodo can eat up to 80% of its own body weight in one meal.
4. Female Komodos can sometimes have babies without a male — it's called parthenogenesis.
5. They live wild on only a few small islands in Indonesia.
6. A big one can weigh around 300 pounds.

❓ Common questions about komodo dragons

No — komodo dragons are wild animals that belong in the wild, and keeping one would be unsafe and almost always illegal. But if komodo dragons are your favorite, here's the closest pet you actually can welcome home:

Meet the Bearded DragonBecause a Komodo dragon is a giant wild monitor lizard; a bearded dragon is the friendly, handleable lizard you can actually keep. See care guide →

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