Written by Richard Lapidus
Komodo Dragons are very special lizards. I hadn’t seen one in person in a very long time, so when I visited the San Diego Zoo yesterday I made a point of stopping by the Komodo Dragon enclosure.
The specimen that was out (not seeking shelter from the weather or the gawkers) was nothing short of magnificent. It is not necessary to create a Jurassic Park to see what dinosaurs looked like. A quick viewing of an adult Komodo Dragon is all it takes. This specimen was at least twelve feet long and two hundred pounds. It seemed to wear a smirk that said, “Oh Yeah, oh yeah human chump. I’m the king of all lizards and there’s no other like me.”
As a life-long reptile enthusiast, I have had a few monitor lizards as pets, but their only similarities to the Komodos is their general shape and habits. The difference in size is like a kitty cat to a lion. (Or like a fence swift to a velociraptor.)
Some say that the Komodos are venomous. Wild specimens have so much bacteria in their mouths from eating (anything!) carrion, that their bite is deadly. Scientists do not classify them as venomous, but who cares? I’d rather get bitten by a rattlesnake then by a Komodo, for when they bite, they grab with long sharp teeth and powerful jaws, and they shake their big heads. You have to know that some body parts of the victim are coming off.
One of my sons read a book years ago, where the author, Douglas Adams, travelled around the world searching for unique oddities. One such place he visited was the island of Komodo in Indonesia. My son was thrilled and amazed by the description of the author’s observations. It is my goal to oneday take my son to see these amazing lizards in the wild.
Until then, we can’t beat the Komodo Dragon exhibit at the San Diego Zoo.
Komodo Dragons
Proud Komodo Dragons
May 10, 2009 at 6:20 pm |
Good stuff! By the way the book by Douglas Adams is named, Last Chance to See.
May 28, 2009 at 9:02 pm |
Komodo Dragons have been in the news in the past two weeks. The first article points out that scientists now believe that Komodos ARE venomous. This is very interesting new information. The second cited instances of unprovoked Komodo Dragon attacks on humans.