NAMA : ALFIAN NUR WAHYUDI

NO : 06

KELAS : XII OC

KOMODO

GENERAL FACTS:

Komodo dragons are the largest living lizards in the world. They are identified by their
massive size, flat heads, bowed legs and long, thick tails. The name comes from rumors that a
dragon-like creature lived on the Indonesian island of Komodo. No Western scientists had
seen a Komodo dragon until 1912, according to the San Diego Zoo. Local people call them
"ora," or "land crocodile."

The average size of a male Komodo dragon is 8 to 9 feet and about 200 lbs., according to
the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, but they can reach a whopping 10 feet (3 meters)
in length. Females grow to 6 feet (1.8 m).

Komodos come in a variety of colors, including blue, orange, green and gray. Their skin is
rough and durable, reinforced with bony plates called osteoderms. They have long claws and
a large, muscular tail.

Komodos have good vision; they can see objects as far away as 985 feet (300 m), according
to the Smithsonian Zoo. They are also speedy. They can run briefly up to 13 mph (20 kph)
but prefer to hunt by stealth — waiting for hours until prey cross their path.

Their sense of smell is their primary food detector, however. According to the Smithsonian
Zoo, Komodo dragons, like snakes, use their forked tongues to sample the air, and then touch
the tongue to the roof of their mouth, where special organs analyze the airborne molecules. If
the left tongue tip has more concentrated "smell," the dragon knows that their prey is
approaching from the left.
FACT ABOUT THE PAST:

Komodos are very rare and are found in the wild only on five islands: the Lesser Sunda
Islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang and Gili Dasami — all within Komodo National
Park — and the island of Flores, where the Komodo roams freely.

The lizard's habitat can be anything from a tropical dry forest to a savanna to a deciduous
monsoon forest. No matter where they live, the Komodo likes extreme heat. It is usually
around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) with 70-percent humidity on the islands of
Indonesia, according to the San Diego Zoo.

Komodos have dual-purpose homes. To stay warm at night, they make or find burrows to
nestle down in. During the day the same burrow keeps them cool.

FACTS ABOUT FUTURE:

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened
Species, the Komodo dragon is not endangered, but it is considered vulnerable. The World
Animal Foundation estimates the number of Komodos in the wild to be 6,000. This
population is split among the islands, with 1,700 on Komodo, 1,300 on Rinca, 100 on Gili
Motang and around 2,000 on Flores. They are protected within the Komodo National Park.

Komodo dragons hatched for the first time outside of Indonesia in 1992 at the Smithsonian
Zoo, according to a zoo fact sheet. The zoo reports that four clutches have hatched and 55
offspring are now living in more than 30 zoos around the world

SUMBER:

http://www.livescience.com/27402-komodo-dragons.html