Description: At maturity, the Komodo Dragon is gray, green, or black in color and may be flecked with yellow or white. Males grow to about nine feet in length, but can reach 10 feet and weigh up to 550 pounds after eating. Females usually grow to about seven and a half feet long and weigh considerably less than the males. Komodo Dragons have long, forked yellow tongues that allow them to smell. The tongue tips collect airborne molecules of scent, which are then communicated to the animal's Jacobsen's organ when pressed to the roof of the mouth. The Komodo Dragon can sense the location of the smell from the forked receptors; more scent molecules on the right fork mean the source is on the right side of the dragon, and vice-versa. Their serrated teeth contain bits of meat from the Komodo Dragon's last meal, harboring bacteria that make the Komodo's bite dangerous. They have long, sharp claws. It is difficult to sex Komodo Dragons, although on close examination, differences in the scale patterns about the cloaca will differ between the sexes.

Distribution: Native to Indonesia, more specifically to the island archipelago that includes Komodo Island, the Komodo Dragon is aptly named. In 1910, a Dutch sea captain by the name of Ouwens was the first to introduce the Komodo Dragon to the western world. Although they were placed under protection as early as 1915, the Komodo Dragon is today listed as vulnerable (2001) and its future remains uncertain. Not only are their habitats being destroyed, but their primary prey item, deer is poached by humans. The Indonesian islands of Rintja and Padar are specially reserved for the protection of the world's largest lizard and its prey.

Breeding and Propagation: Usually, Komodo Dragons mate between the months of May and August. Males will fight each other for females and can get quite vicious toward each other in the breeding season. Generally, they will stand upright and wrestle, with the loser running away or playing dead. It has been reported that the winner of the fights will scratch the loosing male's skin leaving visible marks all over his body. The victorious male will flick his tongue over the female, especially in the areas of her temple and the fold of skin between her rear leg and torso. The Komodo Dragon is sexually stimulated by this licking and by a chemical secreted by glands in the skin. After copulation, eggs will be laid in September in scraped out depressions or in nests taken over from birds. Although the female Komodo Dragon may guard the nest after hatching, the young Komodos must fend for themselves. Mortality due to predation is high.

Meat Seekers: Most lizards are plant eaters, but not Komodo dragons. Meat is what they seek. Dragons use their long tongues to pick up smells in the air, even if they're a mile (1.6 kilometers) away! They aren't too picky about their food, and will eat pigs, deer, wild buffalo, snakes, and fish that wash up on the shore. An adult dragon will hide along a trail and wait for an unsuspecting creature to walk by. Then, with long claws and short, sharp teeth, the dragon attacks. If the prey escapes, the dragon will simply follow it at a leisurely pace. That's because the dragon's bite contains deadly bacteria that will eventually kill its intended meal. Soon other dragons will join in on the feast, fighting over the best pieces. The San Diego Zoo's dragons are fed a mixed diet of mice, rats, and ground turkey mixed with vitamins and calcium.