Komodo Dragons By: Nadia

Introduction Do you want to learn about the Komodo Dragon well then you have came to the right person because I can tell you about them. You are going to learn about what they eat, there physical appearance, their behavior, facts, food & hunting, their habitat and if they are endangered or not. So lets get to it.

Habitat In the Indonesian islands lies the komodo dragon it lives on the islands of Komodo,Rinca, Flores and Gili Motang.In the Indonesian islands the temperature is sometimes over 100 F – 110 F. And all the islands are volcanic.

Behavior Komodo dragons usually hunt alone but they feed as a group. They look for food on beaches. Komodo dragons fight with other komodo dragons when other dragons come in their hunting area. When komodo dragons fight they arch their necks and pop out their throats right before they start fighting. The dragons scratch and jump off each other but the won’t die unless they get biten.

Food & Hunting Komodo dragons spend their whole day hunting for food in the area which they consider their territory. Komodo dragons kill prey with bacteria in their saliva. The komodos are carnivores and if they are 100 pounds at the time they can eat a 80 pound deer in one meal. Komodo dragons have 60 teeth and eat pigs, deer and water buffaloes

Physical Appearance Some young dragons are dark colored with a bit of yellow,white,green,and black. When the dragons are young they use their colors to camouflage themselves. When komodos are older, their coloration changes to a dull black, gray, or green. When they are adults their tails get heavier and longer. The komodo dragon has an extra eye on the top of its head but the eye doesn't act like the other two eyes but it tells the time of day ,the month and if it is time for mating. Did you know that the dragons have a forked tongue just like a snake except it’s for a sense of smell. The komodo dragon also has two holes for its ears. In fact the komodo has 4-5 rows of replacement for each tooth.

Endangered or not The komodo dragon is endangered because of valcanos,fires, no food and habitat destruction.

Conclusion I hope you liked my report about komodo dragons to research more go to my resource page. I hope you learned a lot.

Fun Facts The komodo dragon was discovered in 1912 Adults weigh between 300-500 lb. The komodo dragons tail is as long as its body The komodo dragons egg is as big as a baseball The maximum length of the komodo dragon is 3 meters Komodo dragons wake up at 5:30 to search for food The komodo smells better with tongue than nose The komodo can smell a rotting animal up to 5 miles away When a komodo dragon likes something the faster it flicks its tongue the more invisible odors from the air around it picks it picks up around it. As it pulls in its tongue the odors pass up into small holes in the roof of the mouth. Then the dragons pick up the odors. Komodo dragons claws are 2-3 inches long Another name for the komodo dragon is Varanus komodoensis/ monitor lizard

Resources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Komodo_dragon_distribution.gif http://wwhttp://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon/w.honoluluzoo.org/komodo_dragon.htm http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Kohttp: /

Resources http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Komododragon.cfm http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/lizard/Komodoprintout.shtml http://animal.discovery.com/reptiles/komodo-dragon/ http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_are_komodo_dragons_endangered

Resources http://www.tenan.vuurwerk.nl/reports/baturyn/dragohttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/reptiles/lizard/Komodoprintout.shtml n-jonathon.htm http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/komodo.htm http://www.isidore-of-seville.com/komodo/index.html http://www.k12.hi.us/~kapunaha/student_projects/komodo/physical_appearance.htm http://tolweb.org/treehouses/?treehouse_id=4457