Komodo

Komodo Dragons, Indonesia

Having encountered tiny geckos, medium sized yellow and purple lizards and six foot long monitor lizards in Africa we were keen to meet the mighty Komodo Dragon, the largest lizard in the world. This flesh eating lizard lived until very recently on Java, Bali, Lombok and the Komodo islands. Now there is a small population living in a reserve on Komodo Island.

The biggest Komodo dragon recorded was over 3 metres (12 ft long) and weighed 150 Kg but the one we saw was only about six foot long. They can move very fast and have powerful claws which they use to rip oven wild pigs or goats.

Often however they wound their prey and they follow the stricken animal, smelling it with their blue forked tongue. 

As the animal weakens they attack, if it has not already succumbed to loss of blood or infected wounds.