Komodo dragons are the largest lizard species, and they can grow to be over 300 pounds and more than 10 feet long. They have scales all over their body and have strong limbs and a powerful tail. Komodo dragons have a rounded snout with sharp teeth.

The males are slightly larger than the females, and adults have a uniform cover of brown to red all over their body. The juvenile lizards will have a more green and yellow coloring to their body.

Komodo dragons live in the tropical forests of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands, and Komodo island, where they got their name from. They are found all over the five islands and can be found in the arid rocky valleys. 

They prefer dry open grassland and savanna areas with low elevations. Young Komodo dragons live in the forested regions more inland of the islands and are arboreal until they reach 8 months old. 

The Komodo dragon will eat almost any kind of meat, scavenging carcasses to even tackling down larger prey of wild boar and deer. They will hunt with stealth and power, waiting for hours to attack prey.

Young Komodo dragons will eat small lizards, snakes, and birds, as they have not developed the strength to hunt yet. The Komodo dragon will use its long tongue to “smell” prey, taking in chemicals from the air and recognizing molecules in the air to sense if an animal is around.

Male Komodo dragons will fight with each other to choose a female mate, and this will often result in the lizards wrestling upright with each other. They will often mate once a year in July and August.

The females will lay about 30 eggs a month after mating and bury them in the ground to protect them from natural disasters and predators. The young lizards hatch, weighing less than 4 ounces and are only about 12 inches long, and grow slowly throughout their lives.

Komodo dragons are venomous and use this to their advantage when hunting prey. They have venomous glands in their mouth which can paralyze an animal and cause blood loss and excruciating pain.

Komodo dragons are excellent swimmers, with an ability to swim up to 1,000 feet at a time. They will often swim from island to island in Indonesia.