Big, Murderous And Cannibalistic: Meet Komodo Dragons, The World’s Largest Lizards

Some creatures in our nature look like they came out of a horror movie, or in this case, an apocalyptic monster movie. Komodo dragons, also known as Monitor Lizards, meet this condition. These are the largest lizards in the world, and they have several characteristics that remind us of the scary monsters from the movies: very fast, eat everything (literally!), cannibalistic, sophisticated, and more. They have been with us since the Jurassic period and still live in small numbers, mainly in Indonesia, with a tangible danger of extinction. They play an essential role in Indonesian culture, are one of the main inspirations for the character of King Kong, and have also starred in several horror movies, most of them quite mediocre.

In other words, the Komodo dragon offers precisely what we seek in our scary nature section.

What Are The Komodo Dragons?

Komodo lizards (Varanus Komodoensis) are one of nature’s most fascinating and frightening creatures. They are Monitor Lizards – a type of lizard that is extremely large, intelligent (some lizards can count!), and eats meat, which live mainly in tropical regions between Australia and Africa. They received their nickname “dragon” due to their impressive dimensions, dangerous nature, and the fact that they are considered top predators in their ecosystems.

The lizards received their name from Komodo Island, located in southern Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean. The island is famous mainly for its lizards, which are endemic to it, and several nearby islands (that is, they live there almost exclusively).

How Big Are Komodo Dragons?

In the case of lizards, size certainly matters – as befits the lizards that are considered the largest known today and probably the second largest ever. Komodo lizards usually reach a length of about 2.5-3 meters, with the tail reaching something like 1.5 meters. These are, therefore, enormous lizards; even if people believed in the past, they are even more prominent. Until the 1930s, there were reports of people encountering lizards that reached about 7 meters in length (!).

The enormous Komodo dragons can reach a length of just over 3 meters (about 3.13, based on a famous measurement from 1912), which influences their weight. While the weight of Komodo lizards is usually about 70 kg, the largest lizard measured as of the current point in time weighed no less than 166 kg.

On the other hand, we must remember that researchers took these measurements more than 100 years ago and that measuring animals of this type can be challenging. Since then, no larger lizards have been officially recorded, despite many reports.

A phenomenon called “Island Gigantism” may explain the impressive size of Komodo dragons. You don’t have to be a biologist to understand why. The phenomenon refers to the fact that animals tend to be more prominent on islands and other isolated areas than on land due to reduced predation pressure and lack of competition, allowing predators to get the food they need to grow relatively quickly. In our case, lizards are the only apex predator on the Komodo Islands named after them.

Where Are Komodo Dragons Live Today?

The preferred habitat of Komodo dragons is dry tropical forests, savannas, and rocky shores. They can adapt effectively to various environments, including mountainous areas and low plains, and swim short distances between nearby islands, diving to depths of up to 4-5 meters.

Komodo dragons are endemic to several islands in Indonesia, meaning they are only found naturally in this limited geographical area. The main islands where we can find them are:

• Komodo: The largest island where Komodo dragons live, as you can tell by its name
• Rinca: The second largest island where Komodo dragons live.
• Gili Motang: A smaller island with a significant population of Komodo dragons.
• Flores: The largest island in the region, also very well known on the tourist map. However, you will find a relatively small number of Komodo dragons there.

The lizards love tropical climates, forests, areas near the coast, and more. They tend to live in caves that they dig with their claws, which they also use for hunting.

From Australia To King Kong: The (Very Long) History Of Komodo Dragons

Today, Komodo dragons are in danger of extinction, but the situation was utterly different in years past. Fossils of giant lizards discovered in Australia provide the earliest evidence, historically linking them to a period of more than 3.8 million years ago (!), meaning they lived here as early as the Jurassic period. The scientific community estimates that the lizards arrived in Indonesia about 900,000 years ago.

According to reports, Pearl hunters discovered the lizards near the Komodo Islands in the early 20th century. One of the Dutch officers on the Indonesian island of Flores received a message in 1910 that dinosaurs lived on Komodo. A year later, after reports from a Dutch pilot who survived a crash near the coast of Komodo about “monsters,” the same Dutch officer decided to investigate the story. As in the monster movies, he traveled to the island, killed one of the Komodo dragons, and returned to his island with photographic evidence. In 1912, a team from the Bogor Zoology Museum, also in Indonesia, was sent to the island and returned with several lizards unknown to science until then.

In 1926, Komodo dragons were brought to the West, and are said to be one of the clear inspirations for the legendary character of King Kong, who first appeared in the masterpiece “King Kong” by Marian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack from 1933, which is still considered by many to be one of the most essential and most significant monster movies of all time. The film is about a giant gorilla who lives on “Skull Island” and travels through human fault to New York, where it wreaks havoc. Some of the visual representations of King Kong, the appearance of the fictional Skull Island that recalls the descriptions of the islands where Komodo dragons lived, and even the inspiration for making a movie about giant monsters were reportedly heavily influenced by Komodo lizards.

(Almost) All-Inclusive: What Do Komodo Dragons Eat?

Komodo dragons are intimidating not only in their appearance and size but also in their diet and how they obtain their food. They are opportunistic omnivores with a varied diet that includes other mammals (mainly small or medium-sized ones, such as deers, wild boars, and monkeys), birds, other reptiles, invertebrates (such as snakes), fish and shellfish found on the shoreline, and even corpses. Given the chance, these lizards will not hesitate to eat smaller or weaker members of their species, making them a cannibalistic species.

Komodo dragons are known for their ability to swallow large pieces of prey whole. Their jaws can open wide, allowing the lizards to swallow animals weighing up to 80% of their body weight. If you felt guilty after devouring a 300-400 gram hamburger, you can rest assured because documentation shows a Komodo dragon once eating about 47 kilograms of meat (!) in one meal. In one bite, the dragon can eat about 2.5 kilograms of meat and digest those unfortunate creatures’ bones, hooves, and fur.

Considering all this, the fact that after a particularly hearty meal, they can survive without meat for weeks is far from surprising.

Can Komodo Dragons Eat Humans?

By the way, there have been several known cases of Komodo dragons attacking humans throughout history. In a few isolated cases, this ended in death, such as the killing of a 14-year-old local boy in 1956, the killing of an elderly tourist in 1974, and several fatal attacks since the 2000s, mainly around the Komodo Islands.

This is a tiny number if we examine it throughout history and compare it to other animals. However, this can be attributed mainly to the limited number of lizards and the fact that humans do not contact them too much.

Why Is The Komodo Dragon A Deadly Predator?

Komodo dragons can kill animals larger than themselves and even humans, relying on their sophisticated hunting technique, which heavily depends on cooperation.

One of the dragons ambushes the large animal, for example, while it is going to drink, bites it in the leg or stomach, and escapes thanks to its high speed, which can reach about 20 kilometers per hour for short distances. Lizards do not use this speed to chase their prey but mainly to escape.

Although the Komodo dragon’s bite force is considered moderate and not unusual compared to other predators, it can kill if it damages significant blood vessels or if the dragon manages to break the neck of its prey. Such a scenario is far from science fiction because the Komodo dragon has about 60 sharp, serrated teeth inside, with an iron coating, or if you consider the Komodo’s strong neck muscles that allow it to shake hard and tear apart its prey.

Even if the force of the initial attack is not enough to kill the prey, as happens in many cases, it will lose a lot of blood and weaken. A few days later, the same dragon or one of its friends will arrive and attack the prey again, and so on, until it loses its life.

Are Komodo Dragons Poison?

People once believed that the Komodo dragon’s saliva contained bacteria that contributed to wound infection and hastening their death. Most recent findings show that the amount of bacteria is not abnormal compared to other predators, but there are still some unique features, such as the discovery of Komodo dragon venom glands by a Dutch scientist in 2005.

Other studies, no less interesting, have shown that Komodo dragons have a rare molecule in their blood that acts as a bactericide, which gives them protection from the carcasses and other pests they eat, as well as from the salmonella bacteria to which they are exposed around the clock.

The Average Lifespan Of A Komodo Dragon

Although residents can swear that Komodo dragons have lived for about 150 years in their environment, scientific estimates show that these lizards live for about 30 years in captivity. Life expectancy is longer in the wild, at about 50 years.

Several factors influence life expectancy, such as environmental conditions (including food availability), their predators or competitors (especially older Komodo dragons), diseases, human factors (such as hunting and habitat destruction), climate change, and more.

How To Protect Komodo Dragons?

Today, researchers estimate that there are several thousand Komodo lizards in the wild, which means that this species has a tangible risk of extinction. Quite a few efforts are being made by the authorities, mainly in Indonesia, to preserve the lizards.

Indonesia is determined to preserve the Komodo dragon, a central part of Indonesian culture (especially in the lizard’s habitat areas). The lizards are one of the symbols of Indonesia, symbolizing the country’s uniqueness and biological wealth, expressing its cultural heritage, and elevating values ​​such as strength and resilience, which are essential in local culture.

You can find the lizards on a long list of items, such as artwork, coins (dragon reliefs are present on two types of Indonesian coins, and drawings on one of the banknotes), stamps, telephone calling cards, computer games, and more.

Komodo National Park: Dragons And Other Surprises

Dragons also symbolize the efforts to preserve nature in Indonesia and in general, especially endangered species, and the need to protect unique habitats. The primary efforts were establishing the magnificent Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The park is also part of the prestigious list of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, which also includes the Amazon rainforest and river in South America, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines, Table Mountain in South Africa and the Jeju Volcanic Island in South Korea.

The park’s main attraction is the Komodo dragons, with visitors (with guidance, of course) able to observe them in their natural environment. In addition, you will find a variety of terrestrial animals in the park (even if the variety is quite limited, and only about 100 species), a spectacular underwater population (the park is a popular diving site, mainly thanks to the “pink beach”) and of course also spectacular and diverse landscapes, of a white beach, bays with turquoise water, volcanoes and more.

The authorities’ big challenge was to maintain tourism in the area. Still, at the same time, they took steps to protect the vulnerable population of Komodo dragons from possible damage from habitat destruction, poaching, disease, over-tourism, and more. The efforts include:

Establishment and management of a Komodo park

• Various captive breeding programs – in this context, we saw Komodo lizards in some locations across the globe.
• Increased enforcement of poaching and animal trafficking. In this context, there were cases of hefty fines (equivalent to about 12,500 workdays for an average Indonesian worker) and even the shooting to death of two hunters in 2002 after they failed to heed the orders of law enforcement to stop hunting
• Comprehensive scientific research
• Educational and outreach activities emphasizing the importance of preserving nature

Komodo Lizards In Movies

As is tradition, we tried to locate horror films about Komodo dragons because we all know that almost every living creature, mythological or fictional, is represented in some form of horror. Our findings are not particularly optimistic since the prominent films we found in this context are negligible, some of which are low-budget B-movies with very poor reviews.

However, if you (like me) like to watch bad but fun movies, you can add these horror movies about Komodo dragons to your watchlist:

Komodo (1999)

Komodo is a low-budget Australian horror film directed by Michael Lantieri. You probably don’t know Mikael Lantieri as a director – in fact, “Komodo” is the only film he has directed – but the truth is, believe it or not, he is an Oscar winner.

Lantieri is a special effects supervisor who has collaborated with Steven Spielberg on some of his most important works, such as “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1999), and other important films, such as “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986), Tim Burton’s “Mars Attacks!” (1996) and others. He was nominated no less than five times for an Oscar in the effects category and won once for the excellent “Jurassic Park” (1993) – which perhaps explains his connection to lizards, which are named after dragons, and some people once thought were dinosaurs. In addition, as the film’s poster emphasizes, one of the screenwriters of “Komodo” is Hans Bauer, ​​one of the writers of “Anaconda” (1997.)

The plot of “Komodo” tells the story of a boy who, at the age of 15, witnessed the attack and murder of his parents under circumstances he does not remember. As an adult, he turns to a psychologist, who suggests that he try to understand the loss. From there, he arrives with his relative on the island, or rather the crime scene, where they encounter the Komodo monsters. The film’s cast includes some relatively familiar names, such as Billy Burke, Kevin Zagers, and Jill Hennessy, but despite this, it received terrible reviews.

Curse of the Komodo (2004)

Fast forward five years to a low-budget American film called “Curse of the Komodo” from the studio of Jim Wynorski – a master of B-movies, exploitation films, and bad horror films in the purest form of soft porn, with a filmography of more than 150 films during his prosperous career. So you can’t expect too much from this film, which currently holds a score of 3 out of 10 on IMDB.

The main villains in “Curse of the Komodo” are Komodo dragons that have become giant creatures due to some scriptwriting thing and are hunting people on a remote tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. A group of scientists are trying to stop them from escaping the island and destroying humanity or something like that. I haven’t seen this movie in person, but from the trailers and clips circulating online, you can put a “V” on a bizarre plot, bad acting, and weird computer effects.

Actually, where can I watch this movie?

Komodo VS. Cobra (2005)

Remember Jim Wynorski from the previous paragraphs? So, as part of his low-budget film attack, he decided in 2005 to make a sequel to “Curse of the Komodo.” The film “Komodo vs. Cobra” (or just “KVC”) was produced after the director reportedly received requests from people who enjoyed the first film.

Wynorski has assembled an interesting cast, including Michael Paré (whose filmography as an actor is no less extensive than that of the director), Michelle Borth (“Hawaii Five-0,” “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy,” and the courageous TV series “Tell Me You Love Me”) and a “survivor” named Jerri Manthey, who went on to do several more reality shows after the show, appeared in Playboy, and also managed to cause a few more scandals, such as being kicked off a flight after being rude to the crew.

As the film’s title suggests, “Komodo vs. Cobra” follows a group of scientists and activists who arrive on a remote island to find some research facility or something like that. They come to the island and discover, you guessed it, that two giant creatures have escaped from the same facility due to what looks like a computer animation accident. The title and the trailer of the film reveal who those creatures are exactly and why the hell they look and act like that.

Again, this is a film that you should add to your viewing list only if you are attracted to horror films because they are low-budget and problematic in almost every possible way. You may be happy to hear you can watch the entire movie on YouTube. If your time is precious, or you prefer to use it for slightly better horror films, you can settle for the following video, which summarizes all the killings in the movie in less than two minutes.

So, the representation of Komodo dragons may be a bit odd in movies, but there is no doubt that even so, this is a beautiful and frightening animal in reality. That is what we are missing in the world.

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