The Big Lizard

(Movie)
The komodoški or Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a lizard in the family of varani (Varanidae).

The komodoški is the largest type of live lizards (subordination Lacertilia). He comes only to a few islands belonging to Indonesia: Komodo (about 1700 animals), Rinca (1300), Gili Motang (100) and Flores (about 2000). To protect the species was 1980 of the Komodo National Park.

Appearance
The komodoški leaves most other lizards alive today as dwarfs. It will be up to three metres long. With an empty stomach, he rarely weigh more than 50 kilograms, but because it is in a short-term up to 80% of its body weight in food can absorb, in vollgefressenem state weights of 100 kg. In exceptional cases can be very well fed or overfed zoo animals much more difficult. Some sources indicate maximum body weight than even 250 kg, but as exaggeration apply. He has a heavy grey-brown to olive green body, a long, thick tail and well-developed limbs klauenartigen with nails. The teeth are large and pointed, the tongue is forked, and can rapidly from the foot herausgestreckt and recovered. Despite his size, he is a good climber, both on land and in water, in which he often live near fast-moving. It can be a speed of up to about 30 km / h. The age will reach 30 to 50 years. Komodowarane have a very unpleasant smell, which faulende Aasreste in their back foot.

Way of life in danger
The largest living lizard is agile, has excellent sensory organs and is regarded as one of the brightest reptiles. As olfactory organ komodoški use of his tongue. He lives in the forests and bush country of islands and fed there, inter alia by Aas (although a large part of these dead animals to be Waranbissen perishes), but also suggests frequent live prey, ranging from small reptiles, birds and mammals, to large mammals such as deer, wild pigs and horses, for the weight of the Monitor lizard is many times over. Even before a buffalo end, he sometimes does not come back. The smaller prey eats up the komodoški as a whole. Previously, there was his main prey from now extinct dwarf elephant, which at the time was the only large mammals on Komodo and the surrounding islands occurred.

The tactics in the hunt is the following: The Waran hiding in the grass and tried a major victim as close ScummVM to let him add a bite wound. Because the saliva of viscous Komodowarans different blood poisoning and gangrene-causing bacteria, or the latest hypothesis that (see below), a toxin similar to that of the Gila monster, it is simultaneously infected wound, so the Waran now only as long as the victim must pursue until it on the basis of poisoning, which usually after a few days of the case.

Smaller prey on the other hand, are simply in typical fashion Waran-packed and, where totgeschüttelt. Even young animals of their own kind are often eaten by the Alttieren why it is during the first years of life largely staying on trees, so as the pursuits of their relatives to escape. Attacks resulting in death to humans are rare, but are bite wounds by Komodowarane also by modern medicine is rarely curable, so that infected limbs often have to be amputated. It is, however, also been cases of people that were killed Komodowaranen. Acquaintance was a case in early June 2007, as a komodoški on the island of Komodo (eastern Indonesia) a nine-year boys attacked and killed.

Reproduction
Komodowarane mating between May and August, the Eiablage done in September. The female lays about 15 eggs each, it buries in the soil. After caring for the nest, the young animals (100 g hard, 40 cm long) himself over, and often even as prey eaten. Survivors young animals grow within five to seven years to a length of about 1.50 meters and are then sexually. Until that time, the young animals live exclusively on trees, their older peers on the basis of their greater weight, not climb. Thus, they are good against kannibalische armed robbery.

In the case of males of their own species isolated zoo animals were also cases of self-fertilization (parthenogenesis) by the native animals can be observed.

The first scientific description
The first scientific description of the Komodowarans dates from the year 1912 by Peter Ouwens, director of the Zoological Museum in Bogor on Java. As in previous years, the stately Lizards the interest of Dutch pearl divers and soldiers awakened. Because of its similarity to the "Dragon" was thought for some time that komodoški could spit fire.

Wikipedia