Komodo

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komodo dragon  Komodo or  Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis, is the world's largest lizard species that live on the island of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami in Nusa Tenggara. Biawak by the natives of Komodo island is also known by the name of the local ora.

Including family members Varanidae Lizard and klad Toxicofera, dragons are the largest lizards in the world, with an average length of 2-3 m. Large size is associated with symptoms of gigantism that is the body's tendency to enlargement of certain animals that live on this small island linked to the absence of carnivorous mammals in the island where dragons live, and the rate of metabolism of small dragons. Because of her size, these lizards occupy the position of a top predator that dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons are found by western researchers in 1910. He was a great and terrible reputation that makes them popular in zoos. Dragons in the wild habitat has been shrinking due to human activity and therefore incorporate dragons IUCN as a species vulnerable to extinction. This large lizard is now protected under Indonesian law and a national park, the Komodo National Park, established to protect them. Anatomy dan Morfology In the wild, adult Komodo dragon usually has a mass of about 70 kilograms, but the dragons kept in captivity often have a greater body weight. Wild specimens have the largest ever of 3:13 meters long and weighing about 166 kilograms, including the weight of undigested food in his stomach. Although listed as the largest lizard the Komodo dragon is still alive, but not the longest. This reputation is held by Papuan lizard (Varanus salvadorii). Komodo has the same tail length with his body, and around 60 sharp teeth are serrated along approximately 2.5 cm, which is often replaced. Komodo dragon saliva is often mixed with a little blood because her teeth almost completely covered by gingival tissue and the tissue was torn during the meal. This condition creates an ideal environment for the growth of deadly bacteria that live in their mouths. Komodo has a long tongue, yellow and forked. Komodo dragons males larger than females, with a skin color from dark gray to red brick, while the female is more colorful dragons green olives, and has a small piece of yellow on the throat. Young Komodo dragons more colorful, yellow, green and white on a black background.

Komodo dragon scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, has a sensor that is connected to nerves that facilitate excitatory touch. Scales around the ears, lips, chin, and soles of the feet have three or more sensor stimulation. Komodo dragons were once considered deaf when studies find that whispers, voices rising and shouting did not result in agitation (interference) in the wild dragons. This was refuted later when employees ZSL London Zoo, Joan Proctor trained lizards to eat out with his voice, even when he is not seen by the lizards.

Ecology and Behaviour Komodo dragons are naturally found only in Indonesia, on the island of Komodo, Rinca and Flores and several other islands in Nusa Tenggara. Living in open dry grasslands, savannas and tropical forests at low altitude, this lizard loves hot and dry place. They are active during the day, although sometimes also active at night. Komodo is a solitary animal, gathered together only at meals and breed. These large reptiles can run fast up to 20 kilometers per hour at short distances; swim very well and can dive as deep as 4.5 meters; and clever climb trees using their powerful claws. To catch prey that are beyond its reach, the Komodo dragon may stand on its hind legs and uses its tail as a support. With increasing age, more dragons to use his claws as weapons, because of his large size made ​​it difficult to climb trees. For shelter, dragons dig holes 1-3 meters wide with the front legs and strong claws. Because of her size and habit of sleeping in a hole, the Komodo dragon can maintain body heat during the night and reduce the time sunbathing on the next morning. Komodo generally hunt in the afternoon to evening, but still take shelter during the hottest part of the day. These places hidden dragons are usually located in the dunes or hills with the sea breeze, is open from vegetation, and here and there scattered dung inhabitants. This place is generally also a strategic location to ambush deer.

Komodo dragons are carnivores. Although they eat mostly carrion, studies show that they also hunt live prey by sneaking followed by a sudden attack against the victim. When prey arrives near a hidden dragons, animals are immediately attacked him on the bottom side of the body or throat. Komodo can find their prey using a keen sense of smell, which can be found dead or dying animals at a distance of up to 9.5 kilometers.These ancient reptiles eat by tearing large chunks of meat and then swallowed it round front legs while holding the body of its prey. For small-sized prey of up to goats, the meat could be spent in one gulp. Stomach contents of prey in the form of plants are usually left untouched. A reddish saliva and out in large quantities very helpful dragons in swallowing their prey. However, the ingestion remains a long time consuming; 15-20 minutes is required to swallow a goat. Komodo dragons are sometimes trying to accelerate the process of swallowing it by emphasizing the carrion prey into a tree, so that carcasses can be entered through his throat. And sometimes it's also cutting down the tree so hard that it becomes horizontal. To avoid so as not to choke when swallowing, dragons breathe through a small channel under the tongue, which relate directly to his lungs. [11] His jaws that can be developed freely, his skull is pliable and elastic stomach that can eat the wonderful allow dragons large prey, up by 80% their own body weight in one meal.After eating, a Komodo dragon glut dragged himself looking for the sun to bask and accelerate the process of digestion. If not, they can rot in his stomach and poison their own bodies. Due to a slow metabolism, large dragons can survive by just eating 12 times a year or approximately once a month. After the meat undigested prey, dragons spewing the remains of horns, hair and teeth prey, in clumps mingled with foul-smelling slime, which is known as gastric clot pellet. After that, dragons swept his face to the ground or into the bushes to clean up the remnants of mucus is still attached; behavior suggests that dragons, like humans, not like the smell of his own saliva.In the collection, most large-sized dragons usually eat first, followed by a smaller sized according to the hierarchy. Males showed the greatest body language and desisannya dominansinyamelalui; are greeted with the same language by other males are less likely to show its recognition of that power. Komodo dragons are the same size, may be fighting pitted forces, such gulatbiawak way, until one of them to admit defeat and retreat; although sometimes the loser can be killed in a fight and devoured by the victor. Komodo dragons prey extremely varied, covering a variety of invertebrates, other reptiles (including smaller-bodied dragons), birds and their eggs, small mammals, monkeys, wild pigs, goats, deer, horses and buffalo. Young Komodo dragons prey on insects, eggs, lizards, and small mammals. Sometimes dragons are also prey on humans and the bodies were excavated from the tomb of a shallow hole. This habit causes the population of the island of Komodo avoid sandy soil and chose to bury the corpse in clay, and covered it with stones so as not to be excavated dragons. Others have guessed that the Komodo dragon evolved to prey on pygmy elephant Stegodon that once lived on Flores. Komodo also been observed when the shock and scare the deer females who were pregnant, with the expectation that a miscarriage and the fetus can be eaten carcass; a behavior which is also found in large predators in Africa.Having no midriff, dragons can not breathe in water or licking water to drink (like cats). Instead, the dragons 'scooped' the water with the rest of his mouth, then raised his head so that water flowing into the stomach  .Venomous and Bacteria In late 2005, researchers from the University of Melbourne, Australia, concluded that Perentie lizard (Varanus giganteus) and other lizards, lizards, and lizards from the tribe Agamidae, probably have some sort of can. As long as it is known that the wounds caused by bites of these animals are very prone infeksikarena presence of bacteria that live in the mouth of these lizards, but the researchers suggest that the direct effect that appears at the bite wounds were caused by the entry of medium magnitude could . These researchers have observed the wounds in the hands of humans from the bite of lizard Varanus varius, V. scalaris and dragons, and all showed a similar reaction: rapid swelling within minutes, localized disruption of blood clotting, the pain that gripped up to the elbow, with some symptoms that last up to several hours later.Beside venomous , the Komodo dragon saliva also has a variety of deadly bacteria in it, more than 28 Gram-negative and 29 Gram-positive have been isolated from saliva. These bacteria cause septikemiapada victims; if not directly kill the dragons bite their prey and prey that can escape this pesky generally prey will die within one week of infection. The most deadly bacteria in Komodo dragon saliva appears to be the bacterium Pasteurella multocida is very deadly; known through experiments with laboratory mice. Because the Komodo dragon appears immune to its own microbes, much research was done to look for the hope of antibacterial molecules can be used for human treatment.

Reproduction  Breeding season occurs between May and August, and dragons eggs laid in September. During this period, male dragons battle to defend the females and territory by way of "grappling" with other males while standing on his hind legs. Komodo dragons are defeated will fall and "locked" to the ground. Both the male dragons can vomit or defecate when preparing for battle. The winner will fight long tongue flicking on the female body to see the acceptance of the female.Antagonistic female Komodo dragons and fight with their teeth and claws in pairs during the initial phase. Furthermore, the male must fully control the female during intercourse so as not to hurt. Other behaviors shown during this process is the male rubbing their chins on the female, scratching hard on your back and lick. Copulation occurs when males enter one hemipenisnya to the female cloaca. Komodo can be monogamus and form a "pair," a trait that is rare for the lizard.Females will lay their eggs on the ground hole, climbing a hill or mound scrape nests burnt-orange legs that have been abandoned. Komodo dragons prefer to keep their eggs in nests that have been abandoned. A Komodo dragon nests an average of 20 eggs which will hatch after 7-8 months. Females lay on the eggs to incubate and protect them until they hatch in about April, at the end of the rainy season when there are so many insects.   The hatching process is exhausting effort for children dragons, which came out of the eggshell after tearing with teeth teluryang be dated after the heavy work is completed. After a successful skin tore eggs, baby dragons can lay their eggs in the shell for a few hours before starting to dig out their nests. When hatched, the babies are not just how powerless and can be eaten by a predator.Young Komodo dragons spend his first years in the tree, where they are relatively safe from predators, including adult dragons are cannibals, which is approximately 10% of food is a young lizard-lizard who successfully hunted. Komodo takes three to five years to mature, and can live more than 50 years.In addition to the normal reproductive process, there are several examples of cases of female dragons to produce children without the presence of males (parthenogenesis), a phenomenon well known to appear in some other reptile species as in Cnemidophorus. Fly and Stay Cheap with OneTravel.com - Book Now!