The Zoospecies · habitats · children's zoo · care
Catalog · Reptilia · Squamata · Varanidae · Reptile house
Zoology of the ZooPl. XLIX

Komodo dragon

Varanus komodoensis
Reptilia · Squamata · Varanidae
Fig. 1. Komodo dragon
Fig. 2. Range
North AmericaSouth AmericaEuropeAfricaAsiaAustraliaAntarcticarange, sketched
Length or heightUp to about 3 m long
WeightAbout 70 kg
FoodCarnivore and scavenger
LifespanAbout 30 years
SocietySolitary
Habitatsavanna, dry forest
RangeAsia
Wild or tameWild

The largest living lizard; found on a few Indonesian islands.

Observe: Watch the forked tongue taste the air.

Modern data

Status today

ENEndangered status to verify
ConservationEndangered, from its 2021 listing, as rising seas threaten its islands.
Keeper's noteDaily checks of appetite, movement and behavior; enrichment that changes from day to day.
Kingdom · phylumAnimalia · Chordata
GenusVaranus

Check the record: IUCN Red List · GBIF · ITIS

See it elsewhere in the museum

For classes

Lessons: The Reptile House: Meet the giantsPreviewThe Reptile House: Is "cold-blooded" true?PreviewThe Reptile House: Take its temperaturePreview

Drawer: Zoo: Reptile house

Quiz: Reptile house quiz · 5 questions

Picture gallery

Tap a picture to enlarge it. Every picture is public domain or openly licensed, credited below, and kept on our own server.

Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles J. Sharp · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Jakub Hałun · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Same order: Squamata

Green anaconda

Eunectes murinus
LCLeast concern

Gila monster

Heloderma suspectum
NTNear threatened

Green iguana

Iguana iguana
LCLeast concern

Burmese python

Python bivittatus
VUVulnerable