Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

• 1934: first Komodo dragon on exhibit at Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
• 1963: San Diego Zoo received first Komodo dragons (Shaw 1963)

(Mike Garr and Davis Provan, personal communication, 2021)

General

• Usually calm in managed care
  • Misperceived to be aggressive in zoos
• Intelligent
  • Recognize wildlife care staff
  • Can learn and follow voice commands, and other signals
• Very strong jaws and bodies
  • Should be supervised when introducing novel enrichment objects

Shelter and habitat

• Sun-basking areas to help regulate body temperature
• Deep soil for digging and egg laying (females)
• Pools for swimming
• Durable plants and trees
  • Often lay on top of vegetation
• Branches or other structures for climbing (juveniles)

Social interactions

• Usually housed separately
  • Exception: male–female pairs during breeding
• May be possible to house small juveniles together, given adequate space

Diet

• Raw meat
  • Often rodents, rabbits, and fish
• Other meat products to supplement nutrition
• Occasionally fed hard-boiled eggs as a “treat”

Enrichment

• Food enrichment
  • Carcass feeding
    • Elicits scavenging behaviors and strengthens muscles
  • Scatter feeding
    • Elicits foraging behaviors
    • Use sense of smell to problem-solve and find food in unusual places
• Scent enrichment
  • Use of oils, spices (e.g., cinnamon), and animal scents (e.g., deer and hog scents) encourages movement and exploration

Hudson et al. (1994)
Lange (1989)