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Komodo Dragon

Varanus komodoensis

The Komodo dragon is the world's heaviest lizard, weighing 150 pounds or more. It has gray scaly skin, a pointed snout, powerful limbs and a muscular tail. It lives in the scrub and woodland of a few Indonesian islands. They use their keen sense of smell to locate decaying animal remains from several miles away. They also hunt other lizards as well as large mammals and are sometimes cannibalistic. This species is threatened by hunting, loss of prey species and habitat loss.

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MORE KOMODO DRAGON

VIDEO: A Dragon Stalks Its Prey

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VIDEO: Baby Komodo Dragons

FACTS: More Komodo Dragon Facts

FACTS: Even More Komodo Dragon Facts

DID YOU KNOW?

One Large Lizard: The Komodo dragon is the planet's largest lizard, reaching lengths over 10 feet and weighing over 300 pounds.

Bloody Feeder: The Komodo dragon's teeth are almost completely covered by its gums. When it feeds, the gums bleed, creating an ideal culture for virulent bacteria.

A Deadly Bite: The bacteria that live in the Komodo dragon's saliva causes septicemia, or blood poisoning, in its victims. A dragon will bite its prey, then follow it until the animal is too weak to carry on.

How Stuff Works

Are Komodo Dragons Deadlier Than Cobras?
A bite from a Komodo dragon's bacteria-infested mouth causes fatal blood poisoning in its victims. Is the dragon's bite deadlier than a cobra's venom? Find out at HowStuffWorks.com.