Today's Google Doodle honors the 37th Anniversary of
Komodo National Park.
 |
| Komodo Island, Indonesia |
This is especially exciting because in Summer 2015, I had the great joy of visiting Indonesia's Komodo National Park to see
komodo dragons in person!
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards alive today. Adults typically weigh around 150 pounds, with lengths of 7.5 to 8.5 feet (though there have been individuals that grew over 10 feet long!). Scientists believe that komodo dragons are similar to large lizards that were more common millions of years ago.
Komodos have an impressive sense of smell. They use their forked tongues to sample (and chemically analyze) smells in the air. Under the right conditions,
komodo dragons can detect prey up to 2.5 miles away. Their eyes are tuned to detect movement. This is important for hunting. When the hunt is successful, an individual may eat a single meal of 50 to 80% of its body weight. To assist with this feasting, the stomach stretches easily and the jaw opens unusually wide.
  |
Don't try this at home! Komodo dragons are dangerous and will attack humans.
This photo is mis-leading. I am really a very safe distance away. |
 |
| Look at the claws on this guy! |
No comments:
Post a Comment