KOMODO DRAGONS AND PLACE TO SEE
THEM IN THE WILD....
The
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) 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 (Varanidae),
it is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average
length of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) and weighing around 70
kilograms (150 lb). 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, and also to the Komodo
dragon's low metabolic rate. 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.
Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in
September. About twenty eggs are deposited in abandoned megapode
nests and incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April,
when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable
and therefore dwell in trees, safe from predators and cannibalistic
adults. They take around three to five years to mature, and may live
as long as fifty years. They are among the rare vertebrates capable
of parthenogenesis, in which females may lay viable eggs if males
are absent.
Komodo dragons were discovered by Western scientists in 1910. Their
large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits.
In the wild their range has contracted due to human activities and
they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under
Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was
founded to aid protection efforts.
Habitat/Place to See Komodo
Dragons
KOMODO
ISLAND
Komodo is
one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia.
The island has a surface area of 390 km˛ and over 2000 inhabitants.
The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who
were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the
Bugis from Sulawesi. The population are primarily adherents of Islam
but there are also Christian and Hindu minorities.
Komodo is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part
of the Komodo National Park. Particularly notable here is the native
Komodo dragon. In addition, the island is a popular destination for
diving. Administratively, it is part of the East Nusa Tenggara
province.
RINCA ISLAND
Rincah,
also known as Rinca, is a small island near Komodo island, East Nusa
Tenggara, Indonesia. The island is famous for komodo dragons, giant
lizards that can measure up to three meters (ten feet) long. Rincah
is also populated with many other species such as wild pigs,
buffalos and many birds.
Being less known and less visited than Komodo it is an excellent
place to see the Komodo Dragon in its natural environment with fewer
people to disturb them. Day trips can be arranged from Labuanbajo on
Flores by small boat. Visitors should check in at the park
headquarters.
The island's area is 198 km2.[1]
In June 2008, five scuba divers (three British, one French and one
Swedish) were found on the Southern coast of Rincah after having
been missing for 2 days. The group had drifted 20 miles (32 km) from
where their dive boat abandoned them. They survived on shellfish and
oysters.[
GILI MOTANG
Gili
Motang is a small island in Eastern Indonesia. It is part of the
Lesser Sunda Islands chain, which together with the Greater Sunda
Islands to the west make up the Sunda Islands.
The island, volcanic in origin, is approximately 30 km˛ (12 mi˛) in
area.
Home to a small population of about 100 Komodo Dragons, Gili Motang
is part of Komodo National Park. In 1991 as part of the national
park, Gili Motang was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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