Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia — reptiles

Order: Squamata — amphibians, lizards, snakes

Family: Varanidae — monitors, monitor lizards

Genus: Varanus

Species: Varanus komodoensis — Komodo dragon

Body Weight
Male: up to 136 kg (300 lb)
Female: up to 70 kg (154 lb)

Body Length
Male: 3 m (10 ft)
Female: 2 m (6.6 ft)

Coloration
Gray or clay-colored skin, finely spotted with orange and yellow as adults. Brighter, speckled skin when younger. Distinctive light yellow tongue.

Range
Five islands in Indonesia, including Komodo

Habitat
Flat savanna, rocky valleys, beaches

IUCN Status
Endangered (2019 assessment)

CITES Appendix
Appendix I

Other Designations
Protected under Indonesian Law

Populations in Wild
Approximately 3,500 individuals, including adults and juveniles. Approximately 1,400 mature individuals (400 female).

Locomotion
Body, head, and tail undulate from side-to-side when walking. Hold tail and body rigid when running. Good swimmers, like other monitor lizards. Climb trees as juveniles.

Activity Cycle
Primarily diurnal. Activity peaks during mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Spend most time thermoregulating and sleeping.

Social Groups
Solitary. Interact with other Komodo dragons only during breeding or at feeding (carcass) sites.

Diet
Carnivorous diet, wide range of prey species. Feed on carrion and hunt animals along game trails.

Predators
Humans

Sexual Maturity
5-7 years of age

Incubation Period
2.5-8 months

Clutch Size
1-30 eggs (18, on average)

Hatching Weight
80 g (2.8 oz)

Typical Life Expectancy
Wild populations: most males do not live past 30 to 40 years; most females do not live beyond 20 years
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 20 years for males, 13 for females

Feature Facts

• World's largest living lizard
• One of the few venomous lizards
• Skin covered by protective scales; often compared to chain-mail
• Able to eat a lot of food quickly
• Sharp, curved claws for digging burrows
• Young Komodo dragons live in trees and eat insects
• Habitat loss and illegal wildlife trafficking pose the greatest conservation threats
• San Diego Zoo received its first Komodo dragons in 1963
• New Komodo Kingdom habitat to open at the San Diego Zoo in 2021