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This amazing creature lives on Komodo Island and several other nearby islands, in Indonesia. There are only about 6000 of them, including a few in zoos. This giant lizard can grow to be 3 metres long, weigh 300 to 500 pounds, and is the largest lizard in the world. Komodos are reptiles, but are not descended from dinosaurs. Their bite is often lethal because the bacteria in their mouths is so poisonous that wounds often do not heal, and their victim, if it manages to escape, dies in a day or two. Komodo dragons can swim, and run very fast. They can protect themselves by climbing trees, and by using their tail as a club. Their sense of smell is very good, helped out by their large forked tongue, which samples the air, and can detect rotting flesh miles away. Baby komodos are small, only 40 centimetres long, and like to eat insects, birds, and snakes. By age five, they can be two metres long and weigh 70 pounds. A komodo dragon can live as long as 30 years |
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Design by Bill Willis 2001 Wunderland Website Design |