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The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large reptile of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Dasami, and Gili Motang.
Monitor lizards are poached in some South- and Southeast Asian countries, as their organs and fat are used in some traditional medicines, although there is no scientific evidence as to their effectiveness. [38] [39] Monitor lizard meat, particularly the tongue and liver, is eaten in parts of India and Malaysia and is supposed to be an aphrodisiac.
Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) The Komodo dragon is the largest extant lizard with a maximum known mass of more 80 kg (176.3 lb), also perhaps the heaviest squamate. The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living lizard in the world, with an average mass in 70 kg (150 lb) and 25 kg (55 lb) for males and females respectively ...
Varanoidea is a superfamily of lizards, including the well-known family Varanidae (the monitors and goannas). Also included in the Varanoidea are the Lanthanotidae (earless monitor lizards), and the extinct Palaeovaranidae. Throughout their long evolutionary history, varanoids have exhibited great diversity, both in habitat and form.
Varanus includes the Komodo dragon (the largest living lizard), crocodile monitor, savannah monitor, the goannas of Australia and Southeast Asia, and various other species with a similarly distinctive appearance. Their closest living relatives are the earless monitor lizard and Chinese crocodile lizard. [3]
For a lizard species known for its massive size, the five hatchlings are endearingly small. Komodo dragon babies hatch at zoo in Spain for first time in a decade. Take a look
The Komodo dragon is significantly slower, reaching speeds of just 5–6 m/s (16–20 ft/s), although that is enough for it to chase goats and deers, which it mostly preys on. [15] Being the largest true monitor, Megalania is yet slower, with its estimated top speed no more than 3 m/s (9.8 ft/s). [16]
A 2020 phylogenomic study by Brennan et al. found that Odatria is most closely related to much larger Australian monitor lizards from the subgenus Varanus, which includes the largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon, as well as the monotypic subgenus Papusaurus of which the crocodile monitor is the only member of.