Species archive — epic
Komodo Dragon
The world's largest lizard — a three-metre apex predator that rules a handful of Indonesian islands.
Varanus komodoensis · Endangered
🦎 Komodo Dragon
★★★★★
Overview
The Komodo dragon is the heaviest lizard on Earth, growing up to three metres long and weighing as much as an adult human. It survives on just a few islands in eastern Indonesia, where it sits unchallenged at the top of the food chain — an animal that feels less like modern wildlife and more like a surviving piece of deep time.
Dragons hunt by ambush, combining serrated teeth with venom glands that prevent a wounded animal's blood from clotting. They can smell carrion from several kilometres away using their long forked tongues, and are surprisingly fast over short distances.
Habitat
Komodo dragons live on the dry, rugged islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang, patrolling tropical savanna, open woodland, and beaches. Most of their range falls inside Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Countries found
Interesting facts
- 01
A Komodo dragon can eat up to 80% of its own body weight in a single meal.
- 02
Females can reproduce without males through parthenogenesis.
- 03
Their venom lowers blood pressure and prevents clotting in prey.
- 04
Dragons have survived on Indonesian islands for roughly a million years.
- 05
They can sprint at 20 km/h and swim between islands.
Conservation status
Rising sea levels and shrinking habitat threaten the dragon's already tiny range. The entire wild population — around 3,500 individuals — is confined to a few islands, most protected within Komodo National Park.
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