The largest living lizard, a monitor lizard found only on a few Indonesian islands. It’s an apex predator that ambushes deer and pigs, eats a lot of carrion, and has a venomous bite.
Quick answers
What is it?Reptile
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Yes
Attacks are rare, but Komodo dragons have killed people, both in the wild and in captivity.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAsia
HabitatGrassland, Forest, Scrub
ColoursGrey, Brown
SizeLarge
LengthUp to 3 m (males)
WeightUp to 150 kg (males)
Legs4
Covered inScales
Lives alone
Lives for30 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- The Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Dasami and Gili Motang.
- What it eats
- Adults eat mainly Javan rusa deer and feral pigs, plus carrion; the young take insects and birds.
- Conservation
- Endangered (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The largest lizard alive, and it is genuinely venomous.
Young Komodo dragons live in trees to avoid cannibal adults.
Often confused with
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