Hi kids:
As promised, here's information regarding the great Komodo Dragon!
The Komodo dragon is a species of lizard that inhabits the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang in Indonesia. A member of the monitor lizard family , it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2 to 3 metres and weighing around 70 kilograms . Their unusual size is attributed to island gigantism, since there are no other carnivorous animals to fill the niche on the islands where they live; their large size is also explained by the Komodo dragon's low metabolic rate, that means, it takes long to fully digest and use all nutrients it gets, so it really benefits from food. As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Although Komodo dragons eat mostly carrion, they will also hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals.
Despite their large size, Komodo dragons are fast short-distance runners. They can run as fast as 12 miles per hour for a brief period of time! However, Komodo dragons rarely chase after their prey. Instead, they are stealth predators - they hide and sit motionlessly for hours to wait for their food to come nearby. When Komodo dragons spot a prey, they ambush it by running out of their hideouts at top speed! Komodo dragons may use different attack strategies depending on the size of their prey. If Komodo dragons are ambushing a larger prey, such as a deer or a water buffalo, they attack its feet first in order to knock the prey off balance. If they are dealing with a smaller prey, such as a bird or a young Komodo dragon, they go for its neck first.
Sometimes their attack appears to be a failure, as their prey is able to get up and run away. Nevertheless, the wounded animal is not going to live long. Komodo dragons' saliva contains deadly bacteria. When Komodo dragons launch an attack and bite their prey with their flat, serrated teeth, they also pass along their saliva to the doomed animal. The escaped animal dies hours or days later from the infected wounds.
