The largest lizard on earth. The largest lizard. Argentine black and white tegu

As of 2014, there are 5907 species of lizards on the planet. Below is a list of ten of the most unusual lizards in the world, which differ from their relatives in their original appearance or behavior.

The fantastic leaf-tailed gecko, also known as the satanic gecko, is a species of gecko that lives on tree trunks and branches in wet rainforest only on the Madagascar Islands. Adults reach 9-14 cm in length and weigh from 10 to 30 grams. Lead night image life, hunting insects. These amazing animals are endowed with the ability to mimicry - to merge with the bark of trees, dry leaves, etc. Due to deforestation, they are endangered. They are often found in terrariums around the world.

Moloch, also known as the "thorny devil", is a rather unusual lizard species widespread in deserts and semi-deserts in western and central Australia. The body length of an adult does not exceed 20 cm, with a weight of 50 to 100 g. Active during the day. It feeds exclusively on ants, usually of small species. During the day, the "thorny devil" is able to eat several thousand ants, which it catches with the help of a sticky tongue.

Blade-tailed geckos

Lobe-tailed geckos or flying geckos are a genus of geckos, numbering 7 species. They live in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Nicobar Islands (India), as well as the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Love tropical woodland. They spend most of their life in trees, along which they move very quickly. They live in hollows. Active at night. They feed on insects and small invertebrates. Their total body length is 20–23 cm. Salient features These geckos are able to jump up to 60 m from one tree to another.

Philippine sailing lizard

In seventh place on the list of the most unusual lizards in the world is the Philippine sailing lizard, which is found only in the Philippines. These lizards are omnivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves, flowers, insects and small mammals. They prefer to settle in wet forests near water, rivers, rice fields, etc. Adults can grow up to one meter long. They are excellent swimmers.

The common conolof is a species of large lizards from the iguanas family. They live in earthen holes dug by them only in the Galapagos archipelago, on the islands of San Salvador, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Fernandina. Their body length reaches 125 cm, weight 13 kg. They feed exclusively on plants growing on the ground, sometimes on fallen fruits. 80% of their diet consists of sprouts and flowers of prickly pears (a plant from the Cactus family).

The marine iguana is an unusual lizard that lives exclusively in the Galapagos Islands. It is found mainly on rocky shores, salt bogs and mangroves. The marine iguana is not very skilled on land, however, it swims and dives well. He knows how to hold his breath for 1 hour, and also has a unique ability among modern lizards - to conduct most time at sea. It feeds mainly on algae, sometimes on small vertebrates. The total length of their body reaches 140 cm, of which more than half is taken by the tail, weighing up to 12 kg.

Komodo dragon is the most large lizard in the world, found in arid plains, savannas and dry tropical forests only on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinka, Flores and Jili Motang. Their body length reaches 3-4 m, weight is about 70-100 kg. They are considered excellent hunters who are capable of speeds up to 20 km / h over short distances. They swim well and climb trees. They feed on a wide variety of animals. Their diet includes crabs, fish, sea ​​turtles, lizards, snakes, birds, baby crocodiles, rodents, deer, wild boars, dogs, cats, goats, buffaloes, horses and even relatives. Possess venomous bite and are considered some of the most cold-blooded sadistic murderers in the animal world. Adult Komodo monitor lizards wildlife there are no natural enemies, except for humans and, possibly, combed crocodiles.

Flying dragon (Draco volans)

The flying dragon is a kind of unusual lizard, common in Indonesia on the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Timor, as well as in West Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippine Islands (Palawan), Singapore and Vietnam. Their body length reaches about 20 cm. On its sides there are wide leathery folds stretched between six "false" ribs. When they open, a kind of "wings" are formed, with the help of which dragons can glide in the air at a distance of up to 60 meters. They live on the tops of trees in tropical forests, where they spend a significant part of their lives. They descend to the ground only in two cases - for laying eggs and if the flight is unsuccessful. They feed on insects, mainly ants and termites.

Lesser Girdle Tail is a species of lizard found in the rocky, desert areas of southern Africa. Their body length ranges from 15 to 21 cm. On the head and back there are hard bone plates like a shell. It feeds on insects and small invertebrates. It lives in groups of up to 60 individuals, hiding in gorges and crevices. In case of danger, they are able to curl into a ring, grabbing their tail with their mouth. It is considered one of the most thorny animals in the world.

The most unusual lizard mira is a frilled lizard that lives in dry forests and forest-steppes in northwestern Australia and southern New Guinea. Their body length reaches 80–90 cm, weight is 0.5 kg. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates, mainly spiders and small reptiles. In case of danger, the lizard is able to suddenly open a brightly colored collar (and this movement is accompanied by the simultaneous opening of a wide mouth), which scares away many enemies, including snakes and dogs. An interesting feature frilled lizard is its ability to run on its hind legs, keeping its body almost vertical.

The largest monitor lizard on Earth lives on the Indonesian island of Komodo. This large lizard was nicknamed "the last dragon" or "buyya darat" by the locals. "Crocodile crawling on the ground." There are not so many Komodo monitor lizards left in Indonesia, therefore, since 1980 this animal has been included in the IUCN.

What does a Komodo dragon look like

The appearance of the giant lizard on the planet is very interesting - a head, like a lizard, a tail and paws, like an alligator, a muzzle very reminiscent of a fabulous dragon, except that fire does not erupt from a huge mouth, but there is something fascinating and terrible in this animal. An adult monitor lizard from Komod weighs over one hundred kilograms, and its length can reach three meters. There are cases when zoologists came across very large and powerful Komodo lizards, weighing one hundred and sixty kilograms.

The skin of the monitor lizards is mostly gray with light spots. There are individuals with black skin and yellow small drops. The Komodo lizard has strong, "dragon" teeth and everything is jagged. Only once, having looked at this reptile, you can be seriously scared, since its formidable appearance directly "screams" about seizing or killing. No joke, the Komodo dragon has sixty teeth.

It is interesting! If you catch a Komodo giant, the animal will get very excited. From before, at first glance, a cute reptile, the monitor lizard can turn into an angry monster. He can easily, with help, knock down the enemy who grabbed him, and then mercilessly injure him. Therefore, it is not worth the risk.

If you look at Komodo dragon and on its small paws, it can be assumed that it moves slowly. However, if the Komodo dragon senses danger, or he has spotted a worthy victim in front of him, he will immediately try in a few seconds to properly accelerate to a speed of twenty-five kilometers per hour. One thing can save the victim, a fast run, since monitor lizards cannot move quickly for a long time, they are very exhausted.

It is interesting! The news has repeatedly mentioned the Komodo killer lizards who attacked a person, being very hungry. There was a case when large monitor lizards entered the villages, and spotting children running away from them, they caught up and tore apart. Such a story also happened when the monitor lizard attacked the hunters, who shot the deer and carried the prey on their shoulders. One of them bitten by a monitor lizard to take away the desired prey.

Komodo lizards swim excellently. There are eyewitnesses who claim that the lizard was able to swim across the raging sea from one huge island to another within a few minutes. However, for this it took the monitor lizard to stop for about twenty minutes and rest, since it is known that monitor lizards get tired quickly.

Origin story

They started talking about Komodo lizards at a time when, at the beginning of the 20th century, on about. Java (Holland) received a telegram to the manager that huge dragons or lizards live in the Small Sunda Archipelago, which scientific researchers have not yet heard of. Van Stein from Flores wrote about this that near the island of Flores and on Komodo there lives an incomprehensible still to science "earthen crocodile".

Local residents told Van Stein that monsters inhabit the entire island, they are very ferocious, and they are afraid of them. In length, such monsters can reach 7 meters, but more often there are four-meter Komodo dragons. Scientists from the Zoological Museum of Java Island decided to ask Van Stein to collect people from the island and get a lizard, about which European science I didn't know yet.

And the expedition managed to catch the Komodo monitor lizard, but he was only 220 cm tall. Therefore, the seekers decided, by all means, to get the giant reptiles. And they eventually managed to bring 4 large Komodo crocodiles, each three meters long, to the zoological museum.

Later, in 1912, everyone already knew about the existence of a giant reptile from the published almanac, in which a photograph of a huge lizard was printed with the signature "Komodo dragon". After this article, in the vicinity of Indonesia, in several islands, Komodo monitor lizards also began to be found. However, only after the Sultan's archives were studied in detail, it became known that they knew about the giant foot and mouth disease as early as 1840.

It so happened that in 1914, when World War, a group of scientists had to temporarily close the research and capture the Komodo monitor lizards. However, 12 years later, Komodo monitor lizards have already started talking in America and nicknamed them in their native language "dragon comodo".

Habitat and life of the Komodo monitor lizard

For over two hundred years, scientists have been studying the life and habits of the Komodo dragon, and they have also studied in detail what and how these giant lizards eat. It turned out that cold-blooded reptiles do nothing during the day, they are activated from the very morning until the sun rises and only from five in the evening they start looking for their prey. Monitor lizards from Komodo do not like moisture, they mainly settle where there are dry plains or live in the rainforest.

The giant Komodo reptile is only initially clumsy, but it can develop an unprecedented speed, up to twenty kilometers. So even alligators don't move fast. Food is also easily given to them if it is at a height. They calmly rise on their hind legs and, relying on their strong and powerful tail, get food. They smell their future victim very far away. They can also smell blood at a distance of eleven kilometers and notice the victim far away, since their hearing, sight and smell are at their best!

Monitor lizards love to treat anyone delicious meat... They will not give up one large rodent or several, and even eat insects and larvae. When all the fish and crabs are thrown ashore by a storm, they already scurry here and there along the coast to be the first to eat the "seafood". Monitor lizards feed mainly on carrion, but there have been cases when dragons attacked wild rams, water buffaloes, dogs and feral goats.

The Komodo dragons do not like to prepare in advance for the hunt, they secretly attack the victim, grab it and quickly drag it to their shelter.

Breeding monitor lizards

Monitor lizards mate mainly in warm summer, in mid-July. Initially, the female is looking for a place where she can safely lay her eggs. She does not choose any special places, she can use the nests of wild chickens living on the island. By smell, as soon as the female Komodo dragon finds the nest, she buries her eggs so that no one can find them. Especially greedy for nimble dragon eggs wild boars who are used to ravaging bird nests. From the beginning of August, one female monitor lizard can lay more than 25 eggs. The weight of the eggs is two hundred grams with ten or six centimeters in length. As soon as the female monitor lizard lays eggs, he does not move away from them, but waits until her cubs hatch.

Just imagine, all eight months the female is waiting for the birth of cubs. Small dragon lizards are born at the end of March, and can reach 28 cm in length. Small lizards do not live with their mother. They settle to live on tall trees and there they eat what they can. Cubs are afraid of adult alien monitor lizards. Those who survived, and did not fall into the tenacious paws of hawks and snakes teeming on a tree, begin to independently search for food on the ground in 2 years, as they grow up and get stronger.

Keeping monitor lizards in captivity

Rarely, when giant Komodo monitor lizards are tamed and settled in zoos. But, surprisingly, monitor lizards quickly get used to humans, they can even be tamed. One of the representatives of the monitor lizards lived in the London Zoo, ate freely from the hands of the beholder and even followed him everywhere.

Nowadays, Komodo monitor lizards live in the national parks of the islands of Rinja and Komodo. They are listed in the Red Book, so hunting these lizards is prohibited by law, and according to the decision of the Indonesian committee, the capture of monitor lizards is carried out only with a special permit.

The largest lizard is considered to be the Komodo dragon. This species was discovered by scientists who, at the beginning of 1912, decided to fully explore an island called Komodo. They were surprised at the size of this creature, so they began to study it. They caught the largest lizards of this species with the help of local aborigines, and conducted extensive research to understand how these monsters were able to survive to our time.

Research has shown that these monsters are ancient lizards, and are cold-blooded creatures. By external factors, scientists have attributed this species of lizards to monitor lizards. Considering where exactly these reptiles were found, it is quite understandable why they decided to call them the Komodo monitor lizard.

Lizard dimensions

It should be noted that the Komodo dragon can reach quite impressive sizes. The most mature individuals reach 2.8 meters. Moreover, their maximum weight is about ninety kilograms. Thanks to these dimensions, the Commodus monitor lizard is considered the largest and heaviest lizard on our entire planet. In mid-1937, at an exhibition of unique creatures, which took place in Missouri, a specimen of a lizard was presented, which reached more than three meters in length. Her weight was one hundred and sixty-six kilograms, which simply could not fail to amaze the gray.

Lizard appearance

By appearance, The Commodus monitor lizard resembles a cross between a lizard and a crocodile. He has a rather large mouth, which is simply strewn with sharp teeth. And the thick paws and massive tail really instill fear in his rivals. In adult lizards, the skin is dark in color with a brown tint. And in younger individuals, the skin has a light shade with bright spots, which can sometimes smoothly turn into stripes.

It is worth noting that males can be larger than females, and they are also distinguished by increased aggressiveness, which they very often show towards other males who decide to enter their territory.

Lifestyle

Lizards are diurnal. Like other cold-blooded members of their kind, they love to soak up the sun. These huge reptiles live in burrows, the depth of which can sometimes reach five meters. They pull them out with their large paws and thick claws. They even feed on large animals such as deer and even buffaloes. From the bite of this lizard, the wound of the animal begins to rot, and subsequently he dies.

He moves 4 times faster than a person, from the start developing a speed of 18 km / h. And this is with a three-meter body and tail - it is not for nothing that the Komodo dragon has the status of the largest lizard in the world.

Reptiles do not need to eat regularly to survive - once a month is enough for this. She sees her victim 300 meters away. Hunting does not particularly exhaust oneself - there is no prey on the horizon, it will ravage human burials.

Ora crocodile

The Komodo monitor lizard is a reptile from the squamous squadron. It received the status of the world's largest lizard for its enormous size:

• length - 2.5-3 m;
• weight - 100-150 kg.

Scientists discovered a reptile on Komodo Island only in 1912. A few years before locals more than once they said that they saw a dragon. They called him "ora" and "land crocodile".

Appearance

Males of monitor lizards are 1.5 times larger than females - the sex of reptiles can be identified only by this sign.

Lizards have long, flattened heads, and their muzzles are elongated and rounded. The eyes are large, located on both sides of the head. The auricles are large, but the monitor lizards' hearing is imperfect - they cannot identify a deep voice.

The jaws and throat of the largest lizard are so flexible that it swallows huge chunks of meat in a split second. The movable lower jaw and stomach dilate so much that the adult swallows the pig completely. This feature explains the impressive weight of the reptiles.

But there is another feature - the monitor lizard will easily vomit the contents of the stomach as soon as it feels danger. He will shrink in size and weight and hide from his pursuers.

The legs of the reptiles are bent - because of this, the bulky carcass seems to be pressed to the ground. Their claws are sharp, as befits predators. Large teeth are curved so as to dig deeply into the victim and tear it to pieces.

The body of an adult monitor is covered with bone mail - it gives reptiles a resemblance to stones. Have young generation lizards have a brighter color - green, blue, orange.

Food

The giant lizard is a predator, accordingly, it feeds on the meat of its victims. She dominates, attacking any animals and not disdaining carrion. Their diet contains:

• pigs;
• deer;
• lizards;
• buffaloes.

Juveniles feed on insects and snakes and sometimes catch birds.

Hunting

Reptiles identify prey long before the start of the hunt, sniffing in the air and analyzing the smells in it. For this, nature has endowed predators with a forked tongue, with which they taste the air and feel the taste of an animal or carrion, their location.

Future prey at this time can be at a distance of up to 4 km from the monitor lizard - he will catch its smell and direction if the wind is favorable.

Patience is one of the strengths of the world's heaviest lizard. She lies in wait for prey for hours, sometimes for days. As soon as the animal is near, the reptile attacks it, interrupts its paws with its powerful tail.

The victim is doomed - an attempt to escape leads to the fact that a huge camouflage carcass will torment her to pieces until she becomes limp. Then the monitor lizard will exhale and open the belly of the prey to drain the blood. Only then will he begin to swallow the meat.

Toxicity

Single victims manage to escape, but they do not live long. There are more than 50 types of bacteria in the saliva of reptiles, and the jaw glands are poisonous. When a giant lizard attacks a pig or other artiodactyls, a secret is secreted into its saliva. The protein in the secretion is toxic - it paralyzes muscles, disrupts blood clotting, and sharply reduces pressure and body temperature.

The animal suffers from several hours to several days - depending on the immunity and the degree of blood poisoning, and then dies. The monitor lizard all this time follows the traces of its sense of smell after the victim. As soon as she dies, he absorbs the carrion. Not even a tenth of the carcass remains - the stomach of the reptiles is designed so that it easily digests bones and skin.

Reproduction

The mating season for the largest lizards begins in May and ends in August. Two males can fight for a female - it goes to the winner. After mating games the female lays up to 30 eggs, and the male protects the territory.

Monitor lizards are born weighing about 100 g and no more than 40 cm long. For the first 4 years they live in trees, fleeing predators. Their parents may be among the latter, because there is no evidence that adult reptiles care for their offspring.

A young individual, sensing danger, makes itself tasteless for lizards. To do this, she collapses in her own feces - known fact that monitor lizards avoid their excrement.

Where do they live?

Reptiles live on Komodo and 4 neighboring islands. They are comfortable in deciduous and tropical forests, and reptiles cannot stand the heat. At temperatures above +36 degrees, they hide in burrows. They warm up in burrows if the temperature drops below + 33-34 degrees.

Giant lizards avoid meeting people, and people are forbidden to hunt them, because exotic reptiles are under state protection.

Komodo dragon- one of the most amazing reptiles on the planet. A strong, unusually mobile giant lizard is also called the Komodo dragon. External resemblance to mythical creature the monitor lizard is provided with a huge body, long tail and powerful bent paws.

A strong neck, massive shoulders, a small head give the lizard a belligerent look. The powerful muscles are covered with rough, scaly skin. The huge tail serves as a weapon and support during the hunt and sorting out relations with rivals.

Origin of the species and description

Varanus komodoensis is a chordate reptile class. Refers to the order of scaly. Family and genus - monitor lizards. The only one of its kind is the Komodo dragon. First described in 1912. The giant Indonesian monitor lizard is a representative of the relict population of very large monitor lizards. They also inhabited during the Pliocene. Their age is 3.8 million years.

Traffic crust 15 million years ago caused the influx of Australia into Southeast Asia. The land transformation allowed the great varanids to return to the territory of the Indonesian archipelago. This theory was proved by the discovery of fossils similar to the bones of V. komodoensis. The Komodo monitor lizard really comes from Australia, and the largest extinct lizard, Megalania, is its closest relative.

The development of the modern Komodo monitor lizard began in Asia with the genus Varanus. 40 million years ago, giant lizards migrated to Australia, where they developed into the Pleistocene monitor lizard - Megalania. Such an impressive size of megalania was achieved in a non-competitive food environment.

In Eurasia, the remains of extinct Pliocene species of lizards, similar in size to the modern Komodo dragons, Varanus sivalensis, have also been found. This proves that giant lizards did well even in conditions where there is high food competition from carnivores.

Appearance and features

The Indonesian monitor lizard resembles the extinct ankylosaurus in the structure of the body and skeleton. Long, squat body, stretched parallel to the ground. The strong curves of the paws do not make the lizard graceful when running, but they do not slow it down either. Lizards can run, maneuver, jump, climb trees and even stand on their hind legs.

Komodo lizards are capable of accelerating up to 40 km per hour. Sometimes they compete in speed with deer and antelopes. There are many videos on the network where a hunting monitor lizard tracks and overtakes ungulate mammals.

The Komodo dragon has a complex coloration. The main tone of the scales is brown with polysyllabic blotches and transitions from gray-blue to red-yellow colors. By color, you can determine which age group the lizard belongs to. In young individuals, the color is brighter, in adults it is calmer.

Video: Komodo dragon

The head, small in comparison with the body, resembles a cross between the head of a crocodile and a turtle. There are small eyes on the head. A forked tongue falls out of the wide mouth. The ears are hidden in folds of skin.

The long, powerful neck passes into the torso and ends with a strong tail. An adult male can reach 3 meters, females -2.5. Weight from 80 to 190 kg. The female is lighter - 70 to 120 kg. Monitor lizards move on four legs. During the hunt and clarification of relations for the possession of females and territory, they are able to get up on hind legs... A clinch between two males can last up to 30 minutes.

Monitor lizards are hermits. They live separately and are united only during the mating season. Life expectancy in nature is up to 50 years. Puberty in the Komodo monitor lizard occurs at the age of 7-9 years. Females do not groom or care for the offspring. Their maternal instinct is enough to protect the laid eggs for 8 weeks. After the appearance of offspring, the mother begins to hunt for the newborns.

Where does the Komodo dragon live?

The Komodo dragon has an isolated distribution in only one part of the world, which makes it especially susceptible to natural disasters. The area of ​​the area is small and amounts to several hundred square kilometers.

Adult Komodo dragons live mainly in the rainforest. They prefer open, flat areas with tall grasses and shrubs, but are also found in other habitats such as beaches, ridge tops, and dry riverbeds. Young Komodo dragons live in forested areas until they are eight months old.

This species is found only in South-East Asia on the scattered islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands. The most densely populated monitor lizards are Komodo, Flores, Gili Motang, Rincha and Padar and several other tiny islands in the vicinity. Europeans saw the first giant pangolin on Komodo Island. The discoverers of the Komodo dragon were shocked by its size and believed that the creature can fly. Hearing stories about living dragons, hunters and adventurers rushed to the island.

An armed group of people landed on the island and managed to get one monitor lizard. It turned out to be a large lizard over 2 meters in length. The next caught individuals reached 3 meters or more. The research results were published two years later. They refuted the speculation that the animal could fly or breathe fire. The lizard was named Varanus komodoensis. However, another name stuck behind it - the Komodo dragon.

The Komodo dragon has become something of a living legend. Over the decades since the discovery of Komodo, various scientific expeditions from a number of countries have conducted field studies of dragons on Komodo Island. Monitor lizards did not remain without the attention of hunters, who gradually reduced the population to a critical minimum.

What does the Komodo dragon eat?

Komodo dragons are carnivores. They were believed to eat mainly carrion. In fact, they often and actively hunt. They ambush large animals. Waiting for a victim takes a long time. Komodos track their prey over long distances. There are cases when the Komodo dragons knocked down large ones with their tails. A keen sense of smell allows you to find food at a distance of several kilometers.

Monitor lizards eat their prey, tearing up large pieces of meat and swallowing them whole, while holding the carcass with their front paws. Loosely articulated jaws and expanding stomachs allow them to swallow whole prey. After digestion, the Komodo dragon spews out the remains of the bones, horns, hair and teeth of the victims from the stomach. After cleansing the stomach, the monitor lizards clean the muzzle on grasses, bushes or dirt.

The Komodo dragon's diet is varied and includes invertebrates, other reptiles, including smaller tribesmen. Monitor lizards eat birds, their eggs, small mammals... Among their victims are wild boars,. Large animals such as deer, horses, etc. are also eaten. Young monitor lizards feed on insects, bird eggs and other reptiles. Small mammals are also included in their diet.

Sometimes monitor lizards attack and bite people. There are cases when they eat human corpses, digging bodies from shallow graves. This habit of raiding graves led the inhabitants of Komodo to move graves from sandy to clayey soil and place stones on them to keep the lizards out.

Features of character and lifestyle

Despite its enormous growth and large body weight, the Komodo monitor lizard is a rather secretive animal. Avoids meeting people. In captivity, he is not attached to people and demonstrates independence.

Komodo monitor lizard is a solitary animal. Does not combine into groups. Zealously guards its territory. Does not educate and protect its offspring. At the first opportunity, ready to feast on the cub. Prefers hot and dry places. Usually lives in open plains, savannas and tropical forests at low altitudes.

Most active during the day, although it exhibits some nocturnal activity. The Komodo dragons are lonely, only gathering together for mating and eating. They are able to run fast and skillfully climb trees in their youth. To catch unattainable prey, the Komodo monitor lizard can stand on its hind legs and use its tail as a support. Uses claws as a weapon.

For cover, digs holes 1 to 3 m wide using powerful front legs and claws. Due to its large size and habit of sleeping in burrows, it is able to retain body heat during the night and minimize its loss. Knows how to disguise well. Patient. Able to spend hours in ambush waiting for its prey.

The Komodo dragon hunts during the day, but remains in the shade during the hottest part of the day. These resting places, usually located on ridges with cool sea breezes, are marked with droppings and cleared of vegetation. They also serve as strategic deer ambush sites.

Social structure and reproduction

Komodo monitor lizards do not form pairs, do not live in groups, and do not create communities. They prefer an extremely isolated lifestyle. They carefully protect their territory from congeners. Others of their own species are perceived as enemies.

Mating in this species of lizards occurs in summer time... From May to August, males fight for females and territory. Fierce battles sometimes end in the death of one of the opponents. An opponent who is pinned to the ground is considered to be defeated. The fight takes place on its hind legs.

During battle, monitor lizards can empty their stomach and defecate to lighten the body and improve maneuverability. Lizards also use this technique when fleeing from danger. The winner begins courting the female. In September, the females are ready to lay their eggs. However, in order to acquire offspring, females do not need to have a male.

Komodo monitor lizards have parthenogenesis. Females can lay unfertilized eggs without the participation of males. They develop exclusively male pups. Scientists suggest that this is how new colonies appear on the islands previously free of monitor lizards. After tsunamis and storms, the females, thrown by the waves on the deserted islands, begin to lay eggs in the complete absence of males.

Females of the Komodo monitor lizard choose shrubs, sand and caves for laying. They camouflage their nests from predators who are ready to feast on the eggs of the monitor lizard, and the monitor lizards themselves. The incubation period for laying is 7–8 months. Young reptiles spend most of their time in trees, where they are relatively protected from predators, including adult monitor lizards.

Natural enemies of the Komodo monitor lizards

In its natural environment, the monitor lizard has no enemies and competitors. The length and weight of the lizard make it practically invulnerable. The only and unsurpassed enemy of a monitor lizard can only be another monitor lizard.

Monitor lizards are cannibals. As observations of the life of a reptile have shown, 10% of the diet of the Komodo monitor lizard is its congeners. In order to feast on its own kind, a giant lizard does not need a reason to kill. Fights between monitor lizards are not uncommon. They can begin because of territorial claims, because of the female, and simply because the monitor lizard has not gotten any other food. All clarifications within the species end in a bloody drama.

As a rule, older and experienced monitor lizards attack younger and weaker ones. The same thing happens with newborn lizards. Little monitor lizards can be food for their mothers. However, nature took care of the protection of the baby monitor lizard. The first few years of life, adolescent monitor lizards spend in trees, hiding from their stronger and stronger counterparts in appearance.

In addition to the monitor lizard itself, he is threatened by two more serious enemies: natural disasters and humans. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions seriously affect the population of the Komodo monitor lizard. Disaster can wipe out the population of a small island in a matter of hours.

For almost a century, man has mercilessly exterminated the dragon. People from all over the world flocked to hunt the giant reptile. As a result, the animal population has been brought to a critical level.

Population and status of the species

Information on the population size and distribution of Varanus komodoensis has until recently been limited to early reports or surveys carried out only over part of the species range. The Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species. Listed in the Red Book. The species is vulnerable to poaching and tourism. The commercial interest in animal skins has put the species at risk of extinction.

The World Animal Fund estimates that there are 6,000 Komodo dragon lizards in the wild. The population is under protection and supervision. To preserve the species on the Lesser Sunda Islands created national park... Park staff can tell exactly how many lizards are in this moment on each of the 26 islands.

The largest colonies live on:

• Komodo -1700;
• Rinche -1300;
• Gili Motange-1000;
• Flores - 2000.

But the state of the species is not only influenced by humans. The habitat itself poses a serious threat. Volcanic activity, earthquakes, fires make the traditional habitat of the lizard uninhabitable. In 2013, the total population in the wild was estimated at 3,222 individuals, in 2014 - 3,092, 2015 - 3,014.

A number of measures taken to increase the population increased the number of the species by almost 2 times, but according to experts, this figure is still critically small.

Protection of Komodo lizards

People have taken a number of measures to protect and enhance the species. Hunting for the Komodo dragon is prohibited by law. Some islands are closed to the public. Areas protected from tourists have been organized, where Komodo lizards can live and reproduce in their natural habitat and atmosphere.

Realizing the importance of dragons and the state of the population as an endangered species, the Indonesian government issued an ordinance to protect lizards on Komodo Island in 1915. Indonesian authorities have decided to close the island for visits.

The island is part of national park... Isolation measures will help increase the population of the species. However, the final decision on the termination of tourist access to Komodo must be made by the governor of East Nusa Tengara province.

The authorities do not say how long Komodo will be closed to visitors and tourists. At the end of the isolation period, conclusions will be drawn about the effectiveness of the measure and the need to continue the experiment. In the meantime, unique monitor lizards are raised in captivity.

Zoologists have learned to save the masonry of the Komodo dragon. Eggs laid in the wild are collected and placed in incubators. Ripening and rearing takes place on mini-farms, where conditions are close to natural. Individuals who are strong and able to defend themselves are returned to natural environment a habitat. Currently, giant lizards have appeared outside Indonesia. They can be found in over 30 zoos around the world.

The threat of losing one of the most unique and rare animals is so great that the government of Indonesia is ready to go to the most extreme measures... Closing parts of the archipelago's islands may alleviate the plight of the Komodo dragon, but isolation is not enough. To save the main predator of Indonesia from people, it is necessary to protect its habitat, abandon hunting for it and get the support of local residents.