Habitat
Where do most Komodo Dragons live?
They live on several Indonesian islands.
What is the diet of a Komodo Dragon?
They are a carnivore.
True or False, is the Komodo Dragon the largest living lizard?
True, it is the largest living lizard that isn't extinct.
Do Komodo Dragons accept each other, or fight each other for territory and mating purposes?
Komodo Dragons will almost always fight each other, and this is because they are solitary animals.
Is the Komodo Dragon the largest lizard in its evolutionary tree?
No, a much larger Komodo Dragon called Megalania was much larger than it.
What is the climate in where Komodo Dragons live?
The climate is usually warm, and sometimes hot and dry. They like warmer areas.
What does the Komodo Dragon eat?
They eat all types of meat, from small rodents to large animals like water buffalo.
3 Physical Adaptations
Their scales are green on the top and yellow on the bottom for camouflage. They have sturdy and agile limbs, including a long tail and a strong neck for fighting. They have a venomous bite, and the venom is an anticoagulant that transfers harmful bacteria, and prevents the blood from clotting, which doesn’t let wounds heal on an animal causing the animal to bleed out.
When do they incubate their eggs?
Wet Season
How are Geckos analogous to Komodo Dragons?
A Komodo Dragon’s head and a Gecko’s head look similar, but their skulls are very different.
Another analogous structure between Geckos and Komodo Dragons is that the back legs of a Gecko are facing behind it, and the back legs of a Komodo dragon face forward. They are similar because they are both reptiles with scales, and are lizards.
What biomes do they live in?
Komodo Dragons are usually found in tropical savannas
Do Komodo Dragons hunt more or scavenge more?
They like scavenging for food more then hunting for food.
3 Behavioral Adaptations
Their scales are green on the top and yellow on the bottom for camouflage. They have sturdy and agile limbs, including a long tail and a strong neck for fighting. They have a venomous bite, and the venom is an anticoagulant that transfers harmful bacteria, and prevents the blood from clotting, which doesn’t let wounds heal on an animal causing the animal to bleed out.
How many eggs do Komodo Dragons lay?
They lay around 20-25 eggs.
What animal that has the word "Chinese" in its name is homologous to a Komodo Dragon?
The Komodo Dragon shares three homologous structures with the Chinese Crocodile Lizard. They are both venomous, they both have scales, and they walk on four legs.
Do Komodo Dragons like living with each other?
No, Komodo Dragons are mostly solitary, and sometimes, even eat younger Komodo Dragons.
How much can a Komodo Dragon eat?
An average 200 pound Komodo Dragon can sometimes eat around 80% of its bodyweight.
3 Physiological Adaptations.
They have a venomous bite. Their heart has three chambers. They are cold blooded.
Do Komodo Dragons hunt humans?
No, they don't hunt humans, but sometimes when a human gets too close, they attack them, and sometimes, Komodo Dragon attacks lead to death.
What are three animals that the Komodo Dragon is related to, and what is the common ancestor of those animals?
They are closely related to Goannas, Lace Monitors, and Perenties. They all share a common ancestor called Megalania.
What four islands do most Komodo Dragons live on?
They are found on the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia
What is a method that Komodo Dragons use to swallow larger prey like goats?
They sometimes ram the corpse of the animal against a tree to help push down the animal.
What is one vestigial structure of a Komodo Dragon?
A possible vestigial structure in the Komodo Dragon is the venom gland in their jaw, which is considered vestigial, because it isn’t actual venom. It is an anticoagulant that stops wounds from healing.
How do Komodo Dragons hunt?
They stalk and ambush their prey, and sometime use their venom to let them bleed out because the venom stops their blood from clotting.
Create a cladogram that consists of fish and reptiles that lead up to the Komodo Dragon.
Lamprey → (Jaws) Fish → (Venom) Stone Fish → (Lungs) King Cobra → (Legs) Scorpion → (Scales) Komodo Dragon