SKIP CONTENT TO 5 LAST ADMITTANCE FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM REPTILE DISCOVERY KOMODO DRAGON REPTILIA SQUAMATA VARANIDAE GENUS VARANUS KOMODOENSIS ANIMALS SHARE LARGEST LIVING LIZARD IN THE WORLD ONE OF THE FEW VENOMOUS NATIVE THE ISLAND KOMODO INDONESIAN FACTS RUN SPEEDS UP TO MILES PER HOUR KILOMETERS PER HOUR HUNTING STRATEGY STEALTH SPEND HOURS WAITING GOAT ANYTHING KOMODOS THROW UP STOMACHS LESSEN ORDER CONSERVATION STATUS LEAST CONCERN NEAR THREATENED ENDANGERED CRITICALLY ENDANGERED EXTINCT IN THE WILD EXTINCT DATA DEFICIENT FACT SHEET CONSERVATION PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION KOMODO DRAGONS AGILE NECKS ADULT STONE COLOR JUVENILE DRAGONS DISPLAY COLORING TONGUES YELLOW DRACONIAN MUSCLES JAWS THROAT SWALLOW HUGE MEAT RAPIDITY MOVABLE HINGE LOWER JAW THE STOMACH ENABLING PERCENT BODY WEIGHT EXPLAINS EXAGGERATED CLAIMS WEIGHTS CAPTURED MALES GROW OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES MARK CLUE DIFFERENCE THE ARRANGEMENT SCALES JUST IN FRONT SEXING REMAINS CHALLENGE HUMAN RESEARCHERS THE DRAGONS THEMSELVES APPEAR LITTLE TROUBLE FIGURING SIZE VERIFIED SPECIMEN REACHED LENGTH OF 10 FEET POUNDS WILD WEIGH HABITAT LIMITED ISLANDS LESSER SUNDA GROUP OF COURSE THEY LIVE TROPICAL SAVANNA RANGE BEACH RIDGE MONITORS CAN SEE FAR AWAY VISION PLAY ROLE EYES RETINAS ABLE DISTINGUISH SMALLER HEARING RANGE ANIMAL CANNOT HEAR SOUNDS VOICE HEARING SENSE OF SMELL PRIMARY FOOD DETECTOR SMELLS SNAKE USES FORKED TONGUE SAMPLE TONGUE TIPS RETREAT THE ROOF THE MOUTH CONTACT CHEMICAL DEER RECOGNIZING AIRBORNE CONCENTRATION PRESENT THE LEFT TONGUE TIP HIGHER KNOWS THE DEER WALK IN THE HEAD SWINGS THE DRAGON SENSE THE EXISTENCE DIRECTION CARRION MILES THE WIND HUNTING FEET FIRST OFF BALANCE DEALING LUNGE STRAIGHT BASIC STRATEGY SMASH THE QUARRY THE GROUND TEAR STRONG DRIVING POWERFUL CLAWS TEETH DANGEROUS WEAPON CURVED SERRATED FLESH ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY CONTINUE RIP IT ONCE BREAK OFF OFFENSIVE BRIEF INJURED IN SHOCK THE FINAL BLOW BELLY QUICKLY DEATH BEGINS TOOTH SERRATIONS HARBOR BITS LAST MEAL FRESH RESIDUE LARGE NUMBERS BACTERIAL SEVEN MANEUVERS AWAY CHANCES INFECTIONS BITE PROBABLY KILL LESS THAN ADDITION BACTERIA RECENTLY DOCUMENTED VENOM GLAND THE DAMAGE SALIVA THE BLOOD CLOTTING WOUNDED IN BATTLE COMRADES UNAFFECTED DEADLY BACTERIA SCIENTISTS SEARCHING ANTIBODIES BLOOD SAVING FATE INFECTED MAMMALIAN LEAVE DECLINING SKELETON MUCH MORE HOOVES SWINGING SCATTER BEHAVIOR FECES ALMOST KIND SCAVENGE STALK RANGING WATER BUFFALO YOUNG FEED GECKO LIZARDS TERTIARY PREDATORS TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN DETECT SEEK HUNT GAME THEY WAIT BOAR PASS ATTACK ATTEMPTS DOWN TOXIC THE NEXT PREY ANIMAL LOCATE THE DEAD THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL EATS CHICKS RABBITS GETS SOCIAL STRUCTURE CANNIBALIZE ROLL SCENT UNDERGO RITUALS APPEASEMENT PACING FEEDING CIRCLE RITUALIZED TAIL STUCK THROW BODY CONVULSIONS REPRODUCTION DEVELOPMENT MATING THE OPPORTUNITY COURTSHIP DOMINANT RITUAL COMBAT QUEST TAILS WRESTLE UPRIGHT EACH OTHER FORELEGS ATTEMPT DRAWN THE LOSER RUNS PRONE FEMALE LAYS DELAY LAYING SERVE HELP THE CLUTCH MONTHS DRY SEASON EGGS SECOND CHANCE HILL SLOPES NESTS BIRDS EARTH MIXED TWIGS REACH HEIGHT 10 FEET THE EGGS NINE LIE FUTURE EVIDENCE PARENTAL CARE HATCHLINGS OUNCES AVERAGE INCHES CENTIMETERS EARLY YEARS PRECARIOUS FALL FELLOW DIVERSE DIET SNAKES SHOULD STRETCH WILD BOARS POPULAR SLOW GROWTH THEIR LIVES SLEEP THE HEAT OF THE DAY REFUGE AT NIGHT BURROWS BARELY IN THE WILD HUNTED POPULATION DECLINE KOMODO NATIONAL PARK STRICT LAWS HELPED PROTECT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY TAKES SOMETIMES POISON BAIT REDUCE RANCHERS THE AMERICAN WEST SHEEP AREA COYOTES MOUNTAIN LIONS THE DUTCH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT INSTITUTED PROTECTION PLANS FIND JAVASCRIPT VIEW FAREWELL CELEBRATION GIANT PANDA BAO BAO PROJECT GORILLA AFRICAN LION LION POPULATIONS HABITAT LOSS AFRICAN ZOO CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE SAVE SPECIES SUPPORT FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ZOO AFRICAN CLAWED FROG ALDABRA TORTOISE AMERICAN ALLIGATOR RAINBOW BOA BURMESE ROCK PYTHON CHINESE ALLIGATOR TREE FROG CUBAN CROCODILE EASTERN INDIGO SNAKE EASTERN SALAMANDER EMPEROR NEWT EYELASH PALM PITVIPER GABOON VIPER GHARIAL GILA MONSTER GOLDEN MANTELLA FROG GREEN ANACONDA GREEN SALAMANDER GREEN TREE PYTHON HELLBENDER JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDER KING COBRA LEMUR NORTHERN COPPERHEAD ORIENTAL TOAD PAINTED RIVER TERRAPIN PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG PHILIPPINE CROCODILE POISON FROGS RADIATED TORTOISE SPIDER TORTOISE TIMOR PYTHON TOKAY GECKO VIETNAMESE MOSSY FROG MEMBER WORK DONATE SIGN EMAILS FOLLOW ON GENERAL INFO VISIT CONNECTICUT AVE MAILING ADDRESS PO BOX THE ZOO STRATEGIC PLAN BOARD STAFF NEWSROOM PRESS RELEASES FILMING REQUESTS CAREERS JOBS INTERNSHIPS VOLUNTEER SHOP SMITHSONIAN PRIVACY TERMS OF USE ADOBE ACROBAT READER