Komodo Dragons
Table of Contents Habitat
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Characteristic Apperance Food Babies Glossary Cited Sources About the Author
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Habitat
Komodo Dragon on Komodo island
This is a map of Komodo island
Komodo Dragons are real life dragons that live on the islands of Indonesia. They don’t fly or breath fire; they are called dragons because they are the biggest lizards in the world. Komodo Dragons are a type of lizard called a monitor. They are from the Komodo Island area of Indonesia, near the northwest shore of Australia.
Characteristic Komodo Dragons are cold blooded animals. They need the heat outside like the sunlight to keep them warm. Komodo Dragons are like other lizards, they are active during the day and sleep at night. All Komodo Dragons dig burrows, they sleep in their burrows at night and rest in them during the hot days. They like to dig their dens along streams and open hillsides. Every reptile have scales instead of soft skin.
Appearance
This is a diagram of a Komodo Dragon
Komodo Dragons have scales like armor, they are bumpy too. The bumps help the Komodo Dragons protect themselves when they move around. The dark colors of adult dragons help them soak the heat of the sun. Komodo Dragons walk on bowed legs. Their tails help them with their balance. Komodo Dragons hold their heads high so they can see or smell a nearby animal. An adult Komodo Dragon can grow over 10 feet long and they can weigh as much as 250 pounds! Male are bigger than females. Komodo Dragons have claws that are about two or three inches long, these claws help the Komodo Dragon dig holes and hold their prey.
Food Did you know?
Sometimes a Komodo Dragon could eat a water buffalo!
Komodo Dragons eat anything that they can catch, from rats to goats. Komodo Dragons don’t have very big teeth but they have lots of them! The teeth are sharp, perfect to bite off chunks of meat.
Babies Like most reptiles, Komodo Dragons lay eggs . The mothers lay eggs on the ground and then they dig a hole to bury the eggs under the sand, this way the eggs are nice and warm. A mother Komodo Dragon lay between about 10 to 27 eggs. Dragon eggs have soft and smooth shell. They are even bigger than a baseball. A baby Komodo Dragon is about 16 inches long when they hatch. Komodo Dragon would take care of themselves when they hatch. When they are young they feed on insects and small animals. Then they move eat bigger animals. Komodo Dragons grow up very fast. After 6 months they are twice as big as the size they were when they hatched!
Glossary Lizards: A reptile that has four legs, walks on four legs and a long tail. Monitor: A tropical carnivorous animal of Australia, Asia and Africa. Island: Small land that is surrounded by water. Borrows: A big hole that animals dig and rest in. Dens: A home for some wild animals. Scales: Thin plates around a animal’s body. Bowed Legs: Knees that are curved outwards. Prey: Food for predators. Water Buffalo: A large Buffalo that lives in Asia. Insects: A bug.
Cited Sources Maynard, Thane. Komodo Dragons. Chanhassen, MN: Child's World, 2007. Print.
About the Author Hi, my name is Jesse. I was born in Shanghai. My hobby is to watch television, play games and play sports.