Editing Komodo dragon

{{Short description|Largest living species of lizard}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Komodo dragon
| fossil_range = <br />[[Pliocene]]–[[Holocene]],<ref name="aust"/> {{fossilrange|3.8|0}}
| image = 202306 Varanus komodoensis.jpg
| image_caption = [[Komodo National Park]], [[Indonesia]]
| status = EN
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="IUCN">{{cite iucn |last1=Jessop |first1=Tim |last2=Ariefiandy |first2=Achmad |last3=Azmi |first3=Muhammad |last4=Ciofi |first4=Claudio| |last5=Imansyah |first5=Jeri |author6=Purwandana |first6=Deni |name-list-style=amp |year= 2021 |title=''Varanus komodoensis'' |page=e.T22884A123633058 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T22884A123633058.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| status2 = CITES_A1 
| status2_system = CITES 
| status2_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php | title=Appendices |website=CITES |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
| genus = Varanus
| parent = Varanus (Varanus)
| species = komodoensis
| authority = [[Peter Ouwens|Ouwens]], 1912<ref name="Ouwens1912">{{cite journal |last=Ouwens |first=P. A. |author-link=Peter Ouwens |year=1912 |title=On a large ''Varanus'' species from the island of Komodo |journal=Bulletin de l'Institut Botanique de Buitenzorg. |volume=6 |pages=1–3 |series=2 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3873564#page/323/mode/1up |access-date=6 March 2017}}</ref>
| range_map = Komodo_dragon_distribution.gif
| range_map_caption = Komodo dragon distribution
}}

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 (island)|Komodo]], [[Rinca]], [[Flores]], Gili Dasami, and [[Gili Motang]]. The largest extant population lives  within the Komodo National Park in Eastern Indonesia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ardiantinono |last2=Jessop |first2=Tim S. |last3=Purwandana |first3=Deni |last4=Ciofi |first4=Claudio |last5=Imansyah |first5=M. Jeri |last6=Pangur |first6=Maria R. |last7=Ariefiandy |first7=Achmad |title=Effects of human activities on Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |date=July 30, 2018 |volume=27 |pages=3329–3347}}</ref> It is the [[List of largest extant lizards|largest extant species of lizard]], with the males growing to a maximum length of {{cvt|3|m|sigfig=1}} and weighing up to {{cvt|150|kg}}.

As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are [[apex predators]], and dominate the [[ecosystem]]s in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including [[invertebrate]]s, birds, and [[mammal]]s. Komodo dragons' group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world. The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of [[Javan rusa]] (''Rusa timorensis''), though they also eat considerable amounts of [[carrion]]. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans.

Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September; as many as 20 eggs are deposited at a time in an abandoned [[megapode]] nest or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and dwell in trees to avoid predators, such as [[Cannibalism (zoology)|cannibalistic]] adults, which young Komodo dragons also try to repel by rolling in feces. They take 8 to 9 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years.

Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild, their range has been reduced by human encroachment and is likely to contract further from the effects of [[climate change]]; hence, they are listed as [[Endangered]] by the [[IUCN Red List]]. They are protected under [[Law of Indonesia|Indonesian law]], and [[Komodo National Park]] was founded in 1980 to aid protection efforts.

==Taxonomy==
[[File:KomodoDragon Skull.jpg|thumb|Skull of a Komodo dragon]]

Komodo dragons were first documented by Europeans in 1910, when rumors of a "land crocodile" reached Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbroek of the [[Dutch East Indies|Dutch colonial]] administration.<ref name="sciam"/> Widespread notoriety came after 1912, when [[Peter Ouwens]], the director of the [[Zoological Museum of Bogor]], [[Java]], published a paper on the topic after receiving a photo and a skin from the lieutenant, as well as two other specimens from a collector.<ref name="Ouwens1912"/>

The first two live Komodo dragons to arrive in Europe were exhibited in the Reptile House at [[London Zoo]] when it opened in 1927.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chalmers Mitchell |first=Peter |date=15 June 1927 |title=Reptiles at the Zoo: Opening of new house today |newspaper=[[The London Times]] |place=London, UK |page=17}}</ref> [[Joan Beauchamp Procter]] made some of the earliest observations of these animals in captivity and she demonstrated their behaviour at a scientific meeting of the [[Zoological Society of London]] in 1928.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Procter |first=J. B. |year=1928 |title=On a living Komodo dragon ''Varanus komodoensis Ouwens'', exhibited at the Scientific Meeting, October 23rd, 1928 |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1928.tb07181.x |volume=98 |issue=4 |pages=1017–19|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The Komodo dragon was the driving factor for an expedition to [[Komodo (island)|Komodo Island]] by W. Douglas Burden in 1926. After returning with 12&nbsp;preserved specimens and two live ones, this expedition provided the inspiration for the 1933 movie [[King Kong (1933 film)|''King Kong'']].<ref>{{cite book |last=Rony |first=Fatimah Tobing |year=1996 |title=The third eye: Race, cinema, and ethnographic spectacle |publisher=Duke University Press |location=Durham, N.C. |isbn=978-0-8223-1840-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/thirdeye02rony/page/164 164] |url=https://archive.org/details/thirdeye02rony/page/164 }}</ref> It was also Burden who coined the common name "Komodo dragon".<ref name="gateway-faq">{{cite web |title=Komodo National Park Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=Komodo Foundation |url=http://www.komodo-gateway.org/faq1.html |access-date=25 October 2007}}</ref> Three of his specimens were stuffed and are still on display in the [[American Museum of Natural History]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]] |url=http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Treasures/Komodo_Dragons/komodo.html?aa |title=American Museum of Natural History: Komodo Dragons |access-date=7 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123040040/http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Treasures/Komodo_Dragons/komodo.html?aa |archive-date=23 November 2010 }}</ref>

The Dutch island administration, realizing the limited number of individuals in the wild, soon outlawed sport hunting and heavily limited the number of individuals taken for scientific study. Collecting expeditions ground to a halt with the occurrence of World War&nbsp;II, not resuming until the 1950s and 1960s, when studies examined the Komodo dragon's feeding behavior, reproduction, and body temperature. At around this time, an expedition was planned in which a long-term study of the Komodo dragon would be undertaken. This task was given to the Auffenberg family, who stayed on Komodo Island for 11&nbsp;months in 1969. During their stay, [[Walter Auffenberg]] and his assistant Putra Sastrawan captured and tagged more than 50&nbsp;Komodo dragons.<ref name="nwf">{{cite journal |last=Cheater |first=Mark |date=August–September 2003 |title=Chasing the Magic Dragon |journal=National Wildlife Magazine |volume=41 |issue=5 |url=http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=810&issueId=63 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220164644/http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=810&issueId=63 |archive-date=20 February 2009}}</ref>

Research from the Auffenberg expedition proved enormously influential in raising Komodo dragons in captivity.<ref name="komo">{{cite book |last1=Walsh |first1=Trooper |last2=Murphy |first2=James Jerome |last3=Ciofi |first3=Claudio |last4=De LA Panouse |first4=Colomba |year=2002 |title=Komodo Dragons: Biology and Conservation |series=Zoo and Aquarium Biology and Conservation Series |publisher=Smithsonian Books |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=978-1-58834-073-3}}</ref> Research after that of the Auffenberg family has shed more light on the nature of the Komodo dragon, with biologists such as Claudio Ciofi continuing to study the creatures.<ref name="natgeo"/>

===Etymology===
[[File:Komodo coin, Indonesia Dscn0057.jpg|thumb|The Komodo dragon, as depicted on the 50&nbsp;[[Indonesian rupiah|rupiah]] [[Coins of the rupiah|coin]], issued by Indonesia]]
The Komodo dragon is also sometimes known as the '''Komodo monitor''' or the '''Komodo Island monitor''' in scientific literature,<ref name="itis">{{ITIS |id=202168 |taxon=Varanus komodoensis |access-date=19 June 2007}}</ref> although these names are uncommon. To the natives of [[Komodo (island)|Komodo Island]], it is referred to as ''ora'', ''buaya darat'' ('land crocodile'), or ''biawak raksasa'' ('giant monitor').<ref name="amnh">{{cite web |title=Ora (Komodo Island Monitor or Komodo Dragon) |publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]] |url=http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/Endangered/ora/ora.html |access-date=15 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307164050/http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/Endangered/ora/ora.html |archive-date=7 March 2010}}</ref><ref name="sciam"/>

===Evolutionary history===
Genetic analysis of [[mitochondrial DNA]] shows the Komodo dragon to be the closest relative ([[sister taxon]]) of the Australian [[lace monitor]] (''V.&nbsp;varius''), with their common ancestor diverging from a lineage that gave rise to the crocodile monitor (''[[Varanus salvadorii]]'') of [[Papua New Guinea|New Guinea]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vidal |first1=N. |last2=Marin |first2=J. |last3=Sassi |first3=J. |last4=Battistuzzi |first4=F.U. |last5=Donnellan |first5=S. |last6=Fitch |first6=A.J. |last7=Fry |first7=BG |last8=Vonk |first8=FJ |last9=Rodriguez de la Vega |first9=R.C. |last10=Couloux |first10=A. |last11=Hedges |first11=S.B. |display-authors=6 |date=2012 |title=Molecular evidence for an Asian origin of monitor lizards followed by Tertiary dispersals to Africa and Australasia |journal=Biology Letters |volume=8 |issue=5 |pages=853–855 |doi=10.1098/rsbl.2012.0460 |pmc=3441001 |pmid=22809723|bibcode=2012BiLet...8..853V }}</ref><ref name="fitchetal2006">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fitch AJ, Goodman AE, Donnellan SC |year=2006 |title=A molecular phylogeny of the Australian monitor lizards (''Squamata: Varanidae'') inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences |journal=Australian Journal of Zoology |volume=54 |issue=4 |pages=253–269 |doi=10.1071/ZO05038}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Ast |first=Jennifer C. |year=2001 |title=Mitochondrial DNA evidence and evolution in ''Varanoidea'' (''Squamata'') |url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/72302/j.1096-0031.2001.tb00118.x.pdf?sequence=1 |journal=Cladistics |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=211–226 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-0031.2001.tb00118.x |pmid=34911248 |hdl-access=free |hdl=2027.42/72302|s2cid=53623809 }}; {{cite journal |last=Ast |first=J.C. |title=erratum |journal=Cladistics |volume=18 |issue=1 |page=125 |doi=10.1006/clad.2002.0198|doi-broken-date=20 December 2024 }}</ref> A 2021 study showed that during the late [[Miocene]], the ancestors of Komodo dragons had hybridized with the common ancestor of Australian sand monitors (including ''[[Varanus spenceri|V. spenceri]]'', [[Sand goanna|''V. gouldii'']], [[Varanus rosenbergi|''V. rosenbergi'']] and [[Varanus panoptes|''V. panoptes'']]).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pavón-Vázquez |first1=Carlos J. |last2=Brennan |first2=Ian G. |last3=Keogh |first3=J. Scott |year=2021 |title=A Comprehensive Approach to Detect Hybridization Sheds Light on the Evolution of Earth's Largest Lizards |url=https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sysbio/syaa102/6123761 |journal=Systematic Biology |language=en |volume=70 |issue=5 |pages=877–890 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syaa102 |pmid=33512509}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Study reveals surprising history of world's largest lizard |url=https://phys.org/news/2021-03-reveals-history-world-largest-lizard.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=3 March 2021 |title=Komodo dragons not only inhabited ancient Australia, but also mated with our sand monitors |url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/wildlife/2021/03/komodo-dragons-not-only-inhabited-ancient-australia-but-also-mated-with-our-sand-monitors/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |website=Australian Geographic |language=en-AU}}</ref>

Fossils from across [[Queensland]] demonstrate that the Komodo dragon was once present in Australia, with fossils spanning from the [[Early Pliocene]] (~3.8 million years ago) to the [[Middle Pleistocene]],<ref name="aust">{{cite journal |vauthors=Hocknull SA, Piper PJ, van den Bergh GD, Due RA, Morwood MJ, Kurniawan I |title=Dragon's Paradise Lost: Palaeobiogeography, Evolution and Extinction of the Largest-Ever Terrestrial Lizards (Varanidae) |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=4 |issue=9 |pages=e7241 |year=2009 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0007241 |pmid=19789642 |pmc=2748693 |bibcode=2009PLoSO...4.7241H |doi-access=free }}</ref> with the youngest confirmed records of the species in Australia dating to at latest 330,000 years ago. In Australia, it coexisted with the even larger monitor species ''[[Varanus priscus]]'' also known as megalania, the largest terrestrial lizard ever.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Price |first1=Gilbert J. |last2=Louys |first2=Julien |last3=Cramb |first3=Jonathan |last4=Feng |first4=Yue-xing |last5=Zhao |first5=Jian-xin |last6=Hocknull |first6=Scott A. |last7=Webb |first7=Gregory E. |last8=Nguyen |first8=Ai Duc |last9=Joannes-Boyau |first9=Renaud |date=October 2015 |title=Temporal overlap of humans and giant lizards (Varanidae; Squamata) in Pleistocene Australia |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379115300809 |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |language=en |volume=125 |pages=98–105 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2015.08.013|bibcode=2015QSRv..125...98P }}</ref> The oldest records of the Komodo dragon on Flores date to around 1.4 million years ago, during the [[Early Pleistocene]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=van den Bergh |first1=Gerrit D. |last2=Alloway |first2=Brent V. |last3=Storey |first3=Michael |last4=Setiawan |first4=Ruly |last5=Yurnaldi |first5=Dida |last6=Kurniawan |first6=Iwan |last7=Moore |first7=Mark W. |last8=Jatmiko |last9=Brumm |first9=Adam |last10=Flude |first10=Stephanie |last11=Sutikna |first11=Thomas |last12=Setiyabudi |first12=Erick |last13=Prasetyo |first13=Unggul W. |last14=Puspaningrum |first14=Mika R. |last15=Yoga |first15=Ifan |date=October 2022 |title=An integrative geochronological framework for the Pleistocene So'a basin (Flores, Indonesia), and its implications for faunal turnover and hominin arrival |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277379122003523 |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |language=en |volume=294 |pages=107721 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107721|bibcode=2022QSRv..29407721V |hdl=10072/418777 |s2cid=252290750 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Additionally, Pleistocene fossils of ''Varanus'' found in Java and Timor may belong to the Komodo dragon.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Arida, E.|author2=Böhme, W.|year=2010|title=The Origin of Varanus: When Fossils, Morphology, and Molecules Alone Are Never Enough|journal=Biawak|volume=4|issue=4|pages=117–124|s2cid=31297377}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis Ragunan Zoo 2b.jpg|left|thumb|Adult]]
[[File:Komodo Dragon juvenile, Komodo, 2016 (05).jpg|left|thumb|Juvenile]]
In the wild, adult Komodo dragons usually weigh around {{cvt|70|kg|lb}}, although captive specimens often weigh more.<ref name="animal" /> According to ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', an average adult male will weigh {{cvt|79|to|91|kg|lb}} and measure {{cvt|2.59|m|ft}}, while an average female will weigh {{cvt|68|to|73|kg|lb}} and measure {{cvt|2.29|m|ft}}.<ref name = "Wood">{{cite book | author = Wood, Gerald | url = https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofan00wood | title = The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats | year = 1983 | publisher = Guinness Superlatives | isbn = 978-0-85112-235-9 }}</ref> The largest verified specimen in captivity was {{cvt|3.13|m|ftin}} long and weighed {{cvt|166|kg|lb}}, including its undigested food.<ref name="sciam">{{cite journal|author=Ciofi, Claudio|date=March 1999 |journal=Scientific American|volume=280|issue=3|pages=84–91 |title=The Komodo Dragon|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0399-84|bibcode=1999SciAm.280c..84C}}</ref> The largest wild specimen had a length {{cvt|3.04|m|ft|0}}, a [[snout-vent length]] (SVL) {{cvt|1.54|m}} and a mass of {{cvt|81.5|kg}} excluding stomach contents.<ref name="″IDiPSSACPUEATCIFKD″">{{cite journal |title=Island differences in population size structure and catch per unit effort and their conservation implications for Komodo dragons|journal=Biological Conservation|year=2007|volume=135|issue=2|pages=247–255|url=https://www.academia.edu/8450009|last1=Jessop|first1=T.|last2=Madsen|first2=T.|last3=Ciofi|first3=C.|last4=Jeriimansyah|first4=M.|last5=Purwandana|first5=D.|last6=Rudiharto|first6=H.|last7=Arifiandy|first7=A.|last8=Phillips|first8=J.|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2006.10.025|bibcode=2007BCons.135..247J }}</ref><ref name="TLMl">{{cite web|url=https://www.deviantart.com/paleonerd01/journal/The-Largest-Monitor-Lizards-810103049|title=The Largest Monitor Lizards by Paleonerd01 on DeviantArt|website=Deviantart.com|date=18 August 2019 }}</ref> The heaviest reached a mass of {{cvt|87.4|kg}}.<ref name="″IDiPSSACPUEATCIFKD″" /> The study noted that weights greater than {{cvt|100|kg}} were possible but only after the animal had consumed a large meal.<ref name="″IDiPSSACPUEATCIFKD″" /><ref name="TLMl" />

[[File:Komodo dragon skin.jpg|thumb|right|Closeup of the skin]]
The Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, as well as about 60 frequently replaced, serrated teeth that can measure up to {{cvt|2.5|cm|0}} in length. Its [[saliva]] is frequently blood-tinged because its teeth are almost completely covered by [[gingiva|gingival tissue]] that is naturally lacerated during feeding.<ref name="location"/> It also has a long, yellow, deeply [[forked tongue]].<ref name="sciam"/> Komodo dragon skin is reinforced by armoured scales, which contain tiny bones called [[osteoderm]]s that function as a sort of natural [[chain-mail]].<ref>
[http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/komodo-dragons-at-london-zoo,125,EV.html Komodo Dragons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927080258/http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/whats-on/komodo-dragons-at-london-zoo,125,EV.html |date=27 September 2013 }} . London Zoo
</ref><ref>
[http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/komodo_dragon/komodo.htm#4 Komodo Dragon, ''Varanus komodoensis'' 1998. Physical Characteristics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117100540/http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/komodo_dragon/komodo.htm#4 |date=17 January 2010 }} . San Diego Zoo Global Zoo (1998).
</ref> The only areas lacking osteoderms on the head of the adult Komodo dragon are around the eyes, nostrils, mouth margins, and [[parietal eye]], a light-sensing organ on the top of the head. Where lizards typically have one or two varying patterns or shapes of osteoderms, komodos have four: rosette, platy, dendritic, and vermiform.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hern|first1=Daisy|last2=ez|date=29 September 2019|title=Here's Why Komodo Dragons are the Toughest Lizards on Earth|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a29093242/komodo-dragon-chain-mail-bones/|access-date=9 July 2020|website=Popular Mechanics|language=en-US}}</ref> This rugged hide makes Komodo dragon skin a poor source of leather. Additionally, these osteoderms become more extensive and variable in shape as the Komodo dragon ages, ossifying more extensively as the lizard grows. These osteoderms are absent in hatchlings and juveniles, indicating that the natural armor develops as a product of age and competition between adults for protection in intraspecific combat over food and mates.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://phys.org/news/2019-09-elaborate-komodo-dragon-armor-defends.html | title=Elaborate Komodo dragon armor defends against other dragons}}</ref>

==Morphology==
[[File:Fig 4. Tooth crown serrations of Varanus taxa.png|thumb|227x227px|Teeth. Komodo dragon (A-C), [[Varanus salvadorii|crocodile monitor]] (D-F), [[Asian water monitor]] (G-I). ]]

===Dentition===
Komodo dragons have ziphodont teeth, which are defined as teeth that are laterally flattened, recurved, and with serrated tooth crowns where the serrations have a [[Dentin|dentine]] core and a very thin [[Tooth enamel|enamel]] outer layer. This is the same type of dentition observed in many extinct [[Theropoda|theropod]] dinosaurs.<ref>D’Amore, D. C., Moreno, K., McHenry, C. R., & Wroe, S. (2011). The effects of biting and pulling on the forces generated during feeding in the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). PloS One, 6(10), e26226–e26226. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026226</ref><ref name=":0" /> The teeth of the [[Insectivore|insectivorous]] juveniles in contrast are barely recurved, with fewer and less well-developed serrations that lack dentine cores.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Maho |first1=Tea |last2=Reisz |first2=Robert R. |date=2024-02-07 |title=Exceptionally rapid tooth development and ontogenetic changes in the feeding apparatus of the Komodo dragon |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=e0295002 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0295002 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=10849390 |pmid=38324523|bibcode=2024PLoSO..1995002M }}</ref>
[[File:Dent de varan de Komodo.jpg|left|thumb|254x254px|Teeth. Note the orange, iron-enriched enamel serrations.]]
A 2024 study published in ''[[Nature Ecology and Evolution|Nature Ecology & Evolution]]'' found that Komodo dragons have orange, [[iron]]-enriched coatings on their tooth serrations and tips, as an adaptation for maintaining the sharp cutting edges. This feature is also observed to a lesser degree in a few other [[Australasia|Australasian]] to Asian monitor species, though notably absent in a few other species from that range.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=LeBlanc |first1=Aaron R. H. |last2=Morrell |first2=Alexander P. |last3=Sirovica |first3=Slobodan |last4=Al-Jawad |first4=Maisoon |last5=Labonte |first5=David |last6=D’Amore |first6=Domenic C. |last7=Clemente |first7=Christofer |last8=Wang |first8=Siyang |last9=Giuliani |first9=Finn |last10=McGilvery |first10=Catriona M. |last11=Pittman |first11=Michael |last12=Kaye |first12=Thomas G. |last13=Stevenson |first13=Colin |last14=Capon |first14=Joe |last15=Tapley |first15=Benjamin |date=2024-07-24 |title=Iron-coated Komodo dragon teeth and the complex dental enamel of carnivorous reptiles |journal=Nature Ecology & Evolution |volume=8 |issue=9 |language=en |pages=1711–1722 |doi=10.1038/s41559-024-02477-7 |issn=2397-334X|doi-access=free |pmid=39048730 |pmc=11383799 |bibcode=2024NatEE...8.1711L }}</ref>

Teeth are quickly replaced every 40 days, while maintaining up to 5 replacement teeth for each tooth position at any given time. This high rate of replacement and large number of replacement teeth is similar to that of the [[Varanus salvadorii|crocodile monitor]]. Many other monitor species as well as [[Chinese crocodile lizard|Chinese crocodile lizards]] and [[Heloderma|beaded lizards]] only have 1-2 replacement teeth behind each tooth position.<ref name=":1" />

===Senses===
[[File:Komodo dragons video.ogv|thumbtime=0:02|Komodo dragon using its tongue to sample the air|thumb|left]]
As with other varanids, Komodo dragons have only a single ear bone, the [[stapes]], for transferring vibrations from the [[tympanic membrane]] to the [[cochlea]]. This arrangement means they are likely restricted to sounds in the 400 to 2,000 [[hertz]] range, compared to humans who hear between 20 and 20,000 hertz.<ref name="sciam"/><ref name="bbc">{{cite web |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/336feature1.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116030327/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/336feature1.shtml |archive-date=16 November 2006 |title=Komodo Conundrum |access-date=25 November 2007}}</ref> They were formerly thought to be [[deaf]] when a study reported no agitation in wild Komodo dragons in response to whispers, raised voices, or shouts. This was disputed when [[London Zoo]] employee Joan Procter trained a captive specimen to come out to feed at the sound of her voice, even when she could not be seen.<ref name="liz">{{cite book |last=Badger |first=David |title=Lizards: A Natural History of Some Uncommon Creatures, Extraordinary Chameleons, Iguanas, Geckos, and More |publisher=Voyageur Press |location=Stillwater, MN |year=2002 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/lizards00davi/page/32 32, 52, 78, 81, 84, 140–145, 151] |isbn=978-0-89658-520-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/lizards00davi/page/32 }}</ref>{{rp|52}}

The Komodo dragon can see objects as far away as {{cvt|300|m|ft}}, but because its retinas only contain [[cone cells|cones]], it is thought to have poor night vision. It can distinguish colours, but has poor visual discrimination of stationary objects.<ref name="nzpfactsheet">{{cite web|publisher=[[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]] |url=http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Komododragon.cfm |title=Komodo Dragon Fact Sheet |access-date=25 November 2007|date=25 April 2016 }}</ref>

As with many other reptiles, the Komodo dragon primarily relies on its tongue to detect, [[taste]], and [[Odor|smell]] [[Stimulus (physiology)|stimuli]], with the [[vomeronasal]] sense using the [[Jacobson's organ]], rather than using the nostrils.<ref name="docent">{{cite web |publisher=[[Singapore Zoological Gardens]] |url=http://szgdocent.org/resource/rr/c-komodo.htm |title= Komodo Dragon|access-date=21 December 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050214110617/http://szgdocent.org/resource/rr/c-komodo.htm |archive-date=14 February 2005 }}</ref> With the help of a favorable wind and its habit of swinging its head from side to side as it walks, a Komodo dragon may be able to detect carrion from {{cvt|4|–|9.5|km}} away.<ref name="nzpfactsheet"/> Their tongue-flicking behavior is similar to that of snakes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Maho |first1=Tea |last2=Reisz |first2=Robert R. |title=Exceptionally rapid tooth development and ontogenetic changes in the feeding apparatus of the Komodo dragon |journal=PLoS ONE |date=February 7, 2024 |volume=19}}</ref> It only has a few [[taste bud]]s in the back of its throat.<ref name="docent"/> Its scales, some of which are reinforced with bone, have [[sensory plaque]]s connected to nerves to facilitate its sense of touch. The scales around the ears, lips, chin, and soles of the feet may have three or more sensory plaques.<ref name="location"/>
{{clear}}

==Behaviour and ecology==
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) fighting.jpg
| image2            = KomodoDragon Wrestle2.jpg
| caption2          = Males fighting
}}
The Komodo dragon prefers hot and dry places and typically lives in dry, open grassland, savanna, and tropical forest at low elevations. As an [[ectotherm]], it is most active in the day, although it exhibits some [[nocturnal]] activity. Komodo dragons are solitary, coming together only to breed and eat. There are some "personality" differences among the species, where some present as more "shy", particularly females.<ref>
Laver RJ, Purwandana D, Ariefiandy A, Imansyah J, Forsyth D, et al. (2012) Life-History and Spatial Determinants of Somatic Growth Dynamics in Komodo Dragon Populations. PLOS ONE 7(9): e45398. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045398</ref> They are capable of running rapidly in brief sprints up to {{cvt|20|km/h}}, diving up to {{cvt|4.5|m|ft}}, and climbing trees proficiently when young through use of their strong claws.<ref name="animal">{{cite book| last = Burnie | first = David |author2=Don E. Wilson | title = Animal | publisher = DK Publishing | year = 2001 | location = New York | pages = 417, 420 | isbn = 978-0-7894-7764-4}}</ref> To catch out-of-reach prey, the Komodo dragon may stand on its hind legs and use its tail as a support.<ref name="liz"/>{{rp|144}} As it matures, its claws are used primarily as weapons, as its great size makes climbing impractical.<ref name="location"/>

For shelter, the Komodo dragon digs holes that can measure from {{cvt|1|to|3|m|ft}} wide with its powerful forelimbs and claws.<ref name="cogger">{{cite book |editor1=Cogger, Harold G.|editor2=Zweifel, Richard G.|others=Illustrations by David Kirshner |title=Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians |publisher=Academic Press |location=Boston |year=1998 |pages=132, 157–58 |isbn=978-0-12-178560-4}}</ref> Because of its large size and habit of sleeping in these burrows, it is able to conserve body heat throughout the night and minimise its basking period the morning after.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Eric R. Pianka |author2=Laurie J. Vitt; with a foreword by Harry W. Greene |title=Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |year=2003 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lizardswindowsto00pian/page/244 244] |isbn=978-0-520-23401-7 |url=https://archive.org/details/lizardswindowsto00pian/page/244 }}</ref> The Komodo dragon stays in the shade during the hottest part of the day and hunts in the afternoon.<ref name="gateway-faq"/> These special resting places, usually located on ridges with cool sea breezes, are marked with droppings and are cleared of vegetation. They serve as strategic locations from which to ambush deer.<ref name="southsea"/>

===Diet===
[[File:Komodo Dragon Eating Rinca.jpg|thumb|Komodo dragon on Rinca feeding on a [[water buffalo]] corpse]]
Komodo dragons are [[apex predator]]s.<ref name="firefly"/> They are carnivores; although they have been considered as eating mostly carrion,<ref name="world">{{cite book |last1=Mattison |first1=Chris |year=1992 |orig-year=1989 |title=Lizards of the World |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |pages=16,57,99,175 |isbn=978-0-8160-5716-0}}</ref> they will frequently ambush live prey with a stealthy approach. When suitable prey arrives near a dragon's ambush site, it will suddenly charge at the animal at high speeds and go for the underside or the throat.<ref name="location"/> The majority of the extant Komodo dragon population's diet is made up of introduced ungulates, such as deer, pigs, and buffalo. <ref>Shine, Richard; Somaweera, Ruchira (April 2019). "Last lizard standing: The enigmatic persistence of the Komodo dragon". Global Ecology and Conservation. 18: e00624. Bibcode:2019GEcoC..1800624S. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00624.</ref>

Komodo dragons do not deliberately allow the prey to escape with fatal injuries but try to kill prey outright using a combination of lacerating damage and blood loss. They have been recorded as killing wild pigs within seconds,<ref name=auffenberg1>{{cite book|author=Auffenberg, Walter |title=The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor |publisher=University Presses of Florida |location=Gainesville, Florida |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-8130-0621-5}}</ref> and observations of Komodo dragons tracking prey for long distances are likely misinterpreted cases of prey escaping an attack before succumbing to infection. Most prey attacked by a Komodo dragon reputedly suffer from said sepsis and will later be eaten by the same or other lizards.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bull |first1=J. J. |last2=Jessop |first2=Tim S. |last3=Whiteley |first3=Marvin |date=2010-06-21 |title=Deathly Drool: Evolutionary and Ecological Basis of Septic Bacteria in Komodo Dragon Mouths |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=e11097 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0011097 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=2888571 |pmid=20574514 |bibcode=2010PLoSO...511097B |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. For smaller prey up to the size of a goat, their loosely articulated jaws, flexible skulls, and expandable stomachs allow them to swallow prey whole. The undigested vegetable contents of a prey animal's stomach and intestines are typically avoided.<ref name="southsea"/> Copious amounts of red saliva the Komodo dragons produce help to lubricate the food, but swallowing is still a long process (15–20&nbsp;minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully that the tree is knocked down.<ref name="southsea"/> A small tube under the tongue that connects to the lungs allows it to breathe while swallowing.<ref name="location"/>

After eating up to 80% of its body mass in one meal,<ref name="firefly">{{cite book |editor1-last=Halliday |editor1-first=Tim |editor1-link=Tim Halliday |editor2-last=Adler |editor2-first=Kraig |year=2002 |title=Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians |publisher=Firefly Books |location=Hove |isbn=978-1-55297-613-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/fireflyencyclope0000unse_p6l7/page/112 112–13, 144, 147, 168–69] |url=https://archive.org/details/fireflyencyclope0000unse_p6l7/page/112}}</ref> it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested in its stomach for too long. Because of their slow metabolism, large dragons can survive on as few as 12&nbsp;meals a year.<ref name="location"/> After digestion, the Komodo dragon regurgitates a mass of horns, hair, and teeth known as the gastric pellet, which is covered in malodorous mucus. After regurgitating the gastric pellet, it rubs its face in the dirt or on bushes to get rid of the mucus.<ref name="location"/>

[[File:Komodo excrement.jpg|thumb|upright|Komodo excrement has a dark portion, which is stool, and a whitish portion, which is [[urate]], the nitrogenous end-product of their digestion process]]
The eating habits of Komodo dragons follow a hierarchy, with the larger animals generally eating before the smaller ones. The largest male typically asserts his dominance and the smaller males show their submission by use of body language and rumbling hisses. Dragons of equal size may resort to "wrestling". Losers usually retreat, though they have been known to be killed and eaten by victors.<ref name=auffenberg/><ref>{{cite book |last=Mader |first=Douglas R. |year=1996 |title=Reptile Medicine and Surgery |publisher=WB Saunders Co. |page=16 |isbn=0721652085}}</ref>

The Komodo dragon's diet varies depending on stage of growth. Young Komodo dragons will eat insects, birds and bird's eggs and small reptiles, while larger Komodo dragons (typically over {{cvt|20|kg|lb}}) prefer large [[ungulate]] prey, such as [[Javan rusa]] deer, [[Wild boar|wild pigs]] and [[water buffalo]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Purwandana |first1=Deni |last2=Ariefiandy |first2=Achmad |last3=Imansyah |first3=M. Jeri |last4=Seno |first4=Aganto |last5=Ciofi |first5=Claudio |last6=Letnic |first6=Mike |last7=Jessop |first7=Tim S. |date=April 2016 |title=Ecological allometries and niche use dynamics across Komodo dragon ontogeny |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00114-016-1351-6 |journal=The Science of Nature |language=en |volume=103 |issue=3–4 |page=27 |doi=10.1007/s00114-016-1351-6 |pmid=26936625 |bibcode=2016SciNa.103...27P |s2cid=16570624 |issn=0028-1042}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jessop |first1=Tim S. |last2=Madsen |first2=Thomas |last3=Sumner |first3=Joanna |last4=Rudiharto |first4=Heru |last5=Phillips |first5=John A. |last6=Ciofi |first6=Claudio |date=February 2006 |title=Maximum body size among insular Komodo dragon populations covaries with large prey density |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14371.x |journal=Oikos |language=en |volume=112 |issue=2 |pages=422–429 |doi=10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14371.x |bibcode=2006Oikos.112..422J |issn=0030-1299}}</ref> Occasionally, they attack and bite humans. Sometimes they consume human corpses, digging up bodies from shallow graves.<ref name="liz"/>{{rp|84}} This habit of raiding graves caused the villagers of Komodo to move their graves from sandy to clay ground, and pile rocks on top of them, to deter the lizards.<ref name="southsea">{{cite book |author1=Ballance, Alison |author2=Morris, Rod |title=South Sea Islands: A natural history |publisher=Firefly Books Ltd |location=Hove |year= 2003|isbn=978-1-55297-609-8}}</ref> Dwarf species of ''[[Stegodon]]'' (a proboscidean related to living elephants) are suggested to have been a primary prey item of the Komodo dragon during the [[Pleistocene]], prior to the introduction of their modern ungulate prey, which were only introduced to the islands in the [[Holocene]], around 10-7,000 years ago.<ref name="Diamond2">{{cite journal |last=Diamond |first=Jared M. |year=1987 |title=Did Komodo dragons evolve to eat pygmy elephants? |journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] |volume=326 |issue=6116 |page=832 |bibcode=1987Natur.326..832D |doi=10.1038/326832a0 |s2cid=37203256}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shine |first1=Richard |last2=Somaweera |first2=Ruchira |date=April 2019 |title=Last lizard standing: The enigmatic persistence of the Komodo dragon |journal=Global Ecology and Conservation |language=en |volume=18 |pages=e00624 |doi=10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00624|doi-access=free |bibcode=2019GEcoC..1800624S }}</ref>

The Komodo dragon drinks by sucking water into its mouth via [[buccal pumping]] (a process also used for respiration), lifting its head, and letting the water run down its throat.<ref name=auffenberg1/>

===Saliva===
Although previous studies proposed that Komodo dragon saliva contains a variety of highly septic bacteria that would help to bring down prey,<ref name="auffenberg">{{cite book |author=Auffenberg, Walter |title=The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor |publisher=University Presses of Florida |location=Gainesville |year=1981 |page=406 |isbn=978-0-8130-0621-5 }}</ref><ref name="Aerobic">{{cite journal|pmid=12238371|year=2002|last1=Montgomery|first1=JM|last2=Gillespie|first2=D|last3=Sastrawan|first3=P|last4=Fredeking|first4=TM|last5=Stewart|first5=GL|title=Aerobic salivary bacteria in wild and captive Komodo dragons|volume=38|issue=3|pages=545–51|journal=Journal of Wildlife Diseases|url=http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/38/3/545.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214133444/http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/38/3/545.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 December 2007|doi=10.7589/0090-3558-38.3.545|s2cid=9670009}}</ref> research in 2013 suggested that the bacteria in the mouths of Komodo dragons are ordinary and similar to those found in other carnivores. Komodo dragons have good mouth hygiene. To quote Bryan Fry: "After they are done feeding, they will spend 10 to 15 minutes lip-licking and rubbing their head in the leaves to clean their mouth&nbsp;... Unlike people have been led to believe, they do not have chunks of rotting flesh from their meals on their teeth, cultivating bacteria." They do have a slashing bite, which normally includes a dose of their neurotoxic venom and anticoagulant saliva.<ref>D’Amore, D. C., Moreno, K., McHenry, C. R., & Wroe, S. (2011). The effects of biting and pulling on the forces generated during feeding in the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). PloS One, 6(10), e26226–e26226. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0026226</ref> Komodo dragons do not wait for prey to die and track it at a distance, as [[viper]]s do; observations of them hunting deer, boar and in some cases buffalo reveal that they kill prey in less than half an hour.<ref name="Goldstein paper">{{Cite journal|last1=Goldstein|first1=Ellie J. C.|last2=Tyrrell|first2=Kerin L.|last3=Citron|first3=Diane M.|last4=Cox|first4=Cathleen R.|last5=Recchio|first5=Ian M.|last6=Okimoto|first6=Ben|last7=Bryja|first7=Judith|last8=Fry|first8=Bryan G.|date=June 2013|title= Anaerobic and aerobic bacteriology of the saliva and gingiva from 16 captive Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis): new implications for the "bacteria as venom" model |journal=Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine|volume=44|issue=2|pages=262–272|doi=10.1638/2012-0022R.1|issn=1042-7260|pmid=23805543|s2cid=9932073}}</ref>

The observation of prey dying of sepsis would then be explained by the natural instinct of [[water buffalo]]s, which are not native to the islands where the Komodo dragon lives, to run into water after escaping an attack. The warm, faeces-filled water would then cause the infections. The study used samples from 16 captive dragons (10 adults and six neonates) from three US zoos.<ref name="Goldstein paper"/>

===Antibacterial immune factor===
Researchers have isolated a powerful antibacterial [[peptide]], VK25, from the [[blood plasma]] of Komodo dragons. Based on their analysis of this peptide, they have synthesized a short peptide dubbed DRGN-1 and tested it against [[Multiple drug resistance|multidrug-resistant (MDR)]] pathogens. Preliminary results of these tests show that DRGN-1 is effective in killing drug-resistant bacterial strains and even some fungi. It has the added observed benefit of significantly promoting wound healing in both uninfected and mixed [[biofilm]] infected wounds.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Chung|first1=Ezra M. C.|last2=Dean|first2=Scott N.|last3=Propst|first3=Crystal N.|last4=Bishop|first4=Barney M.|last5=van Hoek|first5=Monique L.|date=11 April 2017|title=Komodo dragon-inspired synthetic peptide DRGN-1 promotes wound-healing of a mixed-biofilm infected wound|url= |journal=npj Biofilms and Microbiomes|language=en|volume=3|issue=1|page=9|doi=10.1038/s41522-017-0017-2|pmid=28649410|pmc=5445593|issn=2055-5008}}</ref>

===Disputed claims of venom===
[[File:Komodo dragon stalking deer.png|thumb|left|Komodo dragon stalking a [[Timor deer]]]]
In late 2005, researchers at the [[University of Melbourne]] speculated that the [[perentie]] (''Varanus giganteus''), other species of monitors, and [[agamids]] may be somewhat venomous. The team believes that the immediate effects of bites from these lizards were caused by mild envenomation. Bites on human digits by a [[lace monitor]] (''V. varius''), a Komodo dragon, and a [[Varanus timorensis|spotted tree monitor]] (''V. timorensis'') all produced similar effects: rapid swelling, localised disruption of blood clotting, and shooting pain up to the elbow, with some symptoms lasting for several hours.<ref name="Fry2006">{{cite journal|year = 2006|title = Early evolution of the venom system in lizards and snakes|journal = Nature|volume = 439|pages = 584–588|doi = 10.1038/nature04328|url = http://www.naherpetology.org/pdf_files/467.pdf|pmid = 16292255|last1 = Fry|first1 = BG|last2 = Vidal|first2 = N|last3 = Norman|first3 = JA|last4 = Vonk|first4 = FJ|last5 = Scheib|first5 = H|last6 = Ramjan|first6 = SF|last7 = Kuruppu|first7 = S|last8 = Fung|first8 = K|last9 = Hedges|first9 = SB|last10 = Richardson|first10 = Michael K.|last11 = Hodgson|first11 = Wayne. C.|last12 = Ignjatovic|first12 = Vera|last13 = Summerhayes|first13 = Robyn|last14 = Kochva|first14 = Elazar|issue = 7076|display-authors = 8|bibcode = 2006Natur.439..584F|s2cid = 4386245|access-date = 14 March 2008|archive-date = 10 October 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171010191815/http://www.naherpetology.org/pdf_files/467.pdf|url-status = usurped}}</ref>

In 2009, the same researchers published further evidence demonstrating that Komodo dragons possess a venomous bite. [[Magnetic resonance imaging|MRI]] scans of a preserved [[skull]] showed the presence of two [[Salivary gland|glands]] in the lower jaw. The researchers extracted one of these glands from the head of a terminally ill dragon in the [[Singapore Zoological Gardens]], and found it secreted several different toxic [[protein]]s. The known functions of these proteins include inhibition of blood clotting, lowering of blood pressure, muscle paralysis, and the induction of hypothermia, leading to shock and loss of consciousness in envenomated prey.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110312125153/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hVmc_PKzCdhfs-dEi2kE0CS2CybA ''Scientists discover deadly secret of Komodo's bite''], AFP, 19 May 2009</ref><ref name=fry>{{cite journal |vauthors=Fry BG, Wroe S, Teeuwisse W, etal |title=A central role for venom in predation by ''Varanus komodoensis'' (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant ''Varanus'' (''Megalania'') ''priscus'' |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=106 |issue=22 |pages=8969–74 |year=2009|pmid=19451641 |pmc=2690028 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0810883106 |bibcode=2009PNAS..106.8969F |doi-access=free }}</ref> As a result of the discovery, the previous theory that bacteria were responsible for the deaths of Komodo victims was disputed.<ref>Staff. "[http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/20/komodo.dragon.bite/index.html Komodo dragons kill with venom, not bacteria, study says]". [[CNN]]. 20 May 2009. Retrieved on 25 May 2009.</ref>

Other scientists have stated that this allegation of venom glands "has had the effect of underestimating the variety of complex roles played by oral secretions in the biology of reptiles, produced a very narrow view of oral secretions and resulted in misinterpretation of reptilian evolution." According to these scientists "reptilian oral secretions contribute to many biological roles other than to quickly dispatch prey." These researchers concluded, "Calling all in this clade venomous implies an overall potential danger that does not exist, misleads in the assessment of medical risks, and confuses the biological assessment of squamate biochemical systems."<ref name="Mackessy2009">{{cite book|last1=Weinstein|first1=Scott A.|last2=Smith|first2=Tamara L.|last3=Kardong|first3=Kenneth V.|editor=Stephen P. Mackessy|title=Handbook of Venoms and Toxins of Reptiles|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x_vME799de4C&pg=PA84|access-date=18 July 2013|date=14 July 2009|publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-4200-0866-1|pages=76–84|chapter=Reptile Venom Glands Form, Function, and Future }}</ref> Evolutionary biologist Schwenk says that even if the lizards have venom-like proteins in their mouths they may be using them for a different function, and he doubts venom is necessary to explain the effect of a Komodo dragon bite, arguing that shock and blood loss are the primary factors.<ref name="Schwenk">{{cite news|author=Zimmer, Carl|date=May 2009|title=Venom Might Boost Dragons Bite|work=San Diego Tribune|url=http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may/25/1c25komodo183628-venom-may-be-boost-dragons-bite/?uniontrib|access-date=26 September 2009|archive-date=6 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090606045519/http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/may/25/1c25komodo183628-venom-may-be-boost-dragons-bite/?uniontrib|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Zimmer, Carl|date=18 May 2009|title=Chemicals in Dragon's Glands Stir Venom Debate|work=[[The New York Times]] |page=D2|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/19/science/19komo.html|access-date=23 March 2012}}</ref> As of 2023, no clear unambiguous evidence of Komodo dragon bites being venomous has been presented.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Friedman |first1=Nathan A |last2=Seltzer |first2=Justin A |last3=Winkler |first3=Garret A |last4=Noste |first4=Erin |last5=Montilla |first5=Henry |last6=Clark |first6=Richard F. |date=February 2023 |title=Crouching Zookeeper, Hidden Dragon: A Case of a Komodo Dragon Bite |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0736467922007818 |journal=The Journal of Emergency Medicine |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=186–189 |doi=10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.12.001|pmid=36813645 }}</ref>

===Reproduction===
[[File:Komodo-mating.JPG|thumb|Komodo dragons mating]]
[[Mating]] occurs between May and August, with the eggs laid in September.<ref name="sciam"/><ref name="ciofi2004"/> During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs, with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground. These males may vomit or defecate when preparing for the fight.<ref name="liz"/> The winner of the fight will then flick his long tongue at the female to gain information about her receptivity.<ref name="firefly" /> Females are [[wikt:Special:Search/antagonism|antagonistic]] and resist with their claws and teeth during the early phases of courtship. Therefore, the male must fully restrain the female during coitus to avoid being hurt. Other courtship displays include males rubbing their chins on the female, hard scratches to the back, and licking.<ref name="library">{{cite web |publisher=[[San Diego Zoo]] |url=http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/komodo_dragon/komodo.htm |title=Komodo Dragon, ''Varanus komodoensis'' |access-date=27 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117100540/http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/komodo_dragon/komodo.htm |archive-date=17 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Copulation occurs when the male inserts one of his [[hemipenes]] into the female's [[cloaca]].<ref name="nzpfactsheet"/> Komodo dragons may be monogamous and form "pair bonds", a rare behavior for lizards.<ref name="liz"/> In order to avoid inbreeding, females actively select distantly related male sperm.<ref>M. Olsson, R. Shine, A. Gullberg, T. Madsen, H. TegelströmFemale lizards control paternity of their offspring by selective use of sperm. Nature, 383 (1996), p. 585
</ref>

Female Komodos lay their eggs from August to September and may use several types of locality; in one study, 60% laid their eggs in the nests of [[orange-footed scrubfowl]] (a moundbuilder or [[megapode]]), 20% on ground level and 20% in hilly areas.<ref name="Jakarta" /> The females make many camouflage nests/holes to prevent other dragons from eating the eggs.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.komodonationalpark.org/downloads/jessop%20et%20al.%202004e.pdf|title=Distribution, use and selection of nest type by Komodo dragons |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2003.08.005 |year=2004 |last1=Jessop|first1=Tim S. |last2=Sumner |first2=Joanna |last3=Rudiharto |first3=Heru|last4=Purwandana|first4=Deni|last5=Imansyah|first5=M.Jeri|last6=Phillips|first6=John A. |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=117|issue=5|page=463|bibcode=2004BCons.117..463J |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111209095216/http://www.komodonationalpark.org/downloads/jessop%20et%20al.%202004e.pdf|archive-date=9 December 2011}}</ref> Nests typically house one female, however a study found evidence of two females occasionally occupying the same den.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jessop |first1=Tim S. |last2=Sumner |first2=Joanna |last3=Rudiharto |first3=Heru |last4=Purwandana |first4=Deni |last5=Imansyah |first5=M. Jeri |last6=Phillips |first6=John A. |date=2004 |title=Distribution, use and selection of nest type by Komodo Dragons |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320703003434 |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=117 |issue=5|pages=463–470 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2003.08.005 |bibcode=2004BCons.117..463J }}</ref> Clutches contain an average of 20 eggs, which have an incubation period of 7–8 months.<ref name="liz"/> Hatching is an exhausting effort for the neonates, which break out of their eggshells with an [[egg tooth]] that falls off before long. After cutting themselves out, the hatchlings may lie in their eggshells for hours before starting to dig out of the nest. They are born quite defenseless and are vulnerable to predation.<ref name=auffenberg/> Sixteen youngsters from a single nest were on average 46.5&nbsp;cm long and weighed 105.1&nbsp;grams.<ref name="Jakarta">{{cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/11/wotong-bird-nests-help-komodos-survive-study.html |title='Wotong' bird nests help Komodos survive: Study |author=Markus Makur|year=2015|access-date=11 March 2015|newspaper=The Jakarta Post}}</ref>

Young Komodo dragons spend much of their first few years in trees, where they are relatively safe from predators, including cannibalistic adults, as juvenile dragons make up 10% of their diets.<ref name="liz"/> The habit of cannibalism may be advantageous in sustaining the large size of adults, as medium-sized prey on the islands is rare.<ref name="coldblood">{{cite book |author=Attenborough, David |author-link=David Attenborough|title=Life in Cold Blood |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeincoldblood0000atte |url-access=registration |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, N.J. |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-691-13718-6}}</ref> When the young approach a kill, they roll around in faecal matter and rest in the intestines of eviscerated animals to deter these hungry adults.<ref name="liz"/> Komodo dragons take approximately 8 to 9 years to mature, and may live for up to 30 years.<ref name="ciofi2004">{{cite book |last=Ciofi |first=Claudio |year=2004 |chapter=''Varanus komodoensis'' |title=Varanoid Lizards of the World |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington & Indianapolis |isbn=978-0-253-34366-6 |pages=197–204}}</ref>

====Parthenogenesis====
{{Main|Parthenogenesis}}
[[File:Parthkomodo.jpg|thumb|right|[[Parthenogenetic]] baby Komodo dragon, [[Chester Zoo]], England]]
A Komodo dragon at [[London Zoo]] named Sungai laid a clutch of eggs in late 2005 after being separated from male company for more than two years. Scientists initially assumed she had been able to store [[spermatozoon|sperm]] from her earlier encounter with a male, an [[adaptation]] known as [[superfecundation]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Morales, Alex |publisher=[[Bloomberg Television]] |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=apLYpeppu8ag&refer=canada |title=Komodo Dragons, World's Largest Lizards, Have Virgin Births |access-date=28 March 2008 |date=20 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008112514/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082 |archive-date=8 October 2007 }}</ref> On 20 December 2006, it was reported that Flora, a captive Komodo dragon living in the [[Chester Zoo]] in England, was the second known Komodo dragon to have laid unfertilised eggs: she laid 11 eggs, and seven of them hatched, all of them male.<ref>Notice by her cage in [[Chester Zoo]] in England</ref> Scientists at [[Liverpool University]] in England performed genetic tests on three eggs that collapsed after being moved to an incubator, and verified Flora had never been in physical contact with a male dragon. After Flora's eggs' condition had been discovered, testing showed Sungai's eggs were also produced without outside fertilization.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article759338.ece |title=Wise men testify to Dragon's virgin birth |access-date=26 November 2007 |work=[[The Times]] | location=London | first=Mark | last=Henderson | date=21 December 2006}}</ref> On 31 January 2008, the [[Sedgwick County Zoo]] in [[Wichita, Kansas]], became the first zoo in the Americas to document [[parthenogenesis]] in Komodo dragons. The zoo has two adult female Komodo dragons, one of which laid about 17 eggs on 19–20 May 2007. Only two eggs were incubated and hatched due to space issues; the first hatched on 31 January 2008, while the second hatched on 1 February. Both hatchlings were males.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Sedgwick County Zoo]] |url=http://www.scz.org/n_recent.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211184900/http://www.scz.org/n_recent.html |archive-date=11 February 2008 |title=Recent News – Sedgwick County Zoo |access-date=12 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[NBC News]] |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna23058689 |title=Komodo dragons hatch with no male involved |access-date=12 February 2008|date=8 February 2008 }}</ref>

Komodo dragons have the [[ZW sex-determination system|ZW]] chromosomal [[sex-determination system]], as opposed to the [[XY sex-determination system|mammalian XY system]]. Male progeny prove Flora's unfertilized eggs were [[haploid]] (n) and doubled their chromosomes later to become [[diploid]] (2n) (by being fertilized by a [[polar body]], or by chromosome duplication without [[cell division]]), rather than by her laying diploid eggs by one of the [[meiosis]] reduction-divisions in her [[ovaries]] failing. When a female Komodo dragon (with ZW sex chromosomes) reproduces in this manner, she provides her progeny with only one chromosome from each of her pairs of chromosomes, including only one of her two sex chromosomes. This single set of chromosomes is duplicated in the egg, which develops parthenogenetically. Eggs receiving a Z [[chromosome]] become ZZ (male); those receiving a W chromosome become WW and fail to develop,<ref name="ZW">{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6196225.stm |title=Virgin births for giant lizards |access-date=13 March 2008 |date=20 December 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Scientific American |url=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=strange-but-true-komodo-d |title=Strange but True: Komodo Dragons Show that "Virgin Births" Are Possible: Scientific American |access-date=24 March 2008}}</ref> meaning that only males are produced by parthenogenesis in this species.[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Varanus komodoensis die geplaagd wordt TMnr 10006427.jpg|thumb|Humans handling a komodo dragon]]It has been hypothesised that this reproductive adaptation allows a single female to enter an isolated [[ecological niche]] (such as an island) and by [[parthenogenesis]] produce male offspring, thereby establishing a sexually reproducing population (via reproduction with her offspring that can result in both male and female young).<ref name="ZW" /> Despite the advantages of such an adaptation, zoos are cautioned that parthenogenesis may be detrimental to genetic diversity.<ref name="pmid">{{cite journal |vauthors=Watts PC, Buley KR, Sanderson S, Boardman W, Ciofi C, Gibson R |title=Parthenogenesis in Komodo Dragons |journal=Nature |volume=444 |issue=7122 |pages=1021–22 |date=December 2006 |pmid=17183308 |doi=10.1038/4441021a |issn=0028-0836|bibcode=2006Natur.444.1021W |s2cid=4311088 }}</ref>

===Encounters with humans===
Attacks on humans are rare, but Komodo dragons have been responsible for several human fatalities, both in the wild and in captivity. According to data from [[Komodo National Park]] spanning a 38-year period between 1974 and 2012, there were 24 reported attacks on humans, five of them fatal. Most of the victims were local villagers living around the national park.<ref>{{cite news | title = 5 Kasus keganasan komodo liar menyerang manusia | date = 22 April 2014 | author = Fariz Fardianto | work = Merdeka.com | url = https://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/5-kasus-keganasan-komodo-liar-menyerang-manusia/selama-34-tahun-komodo-terkam-24-orang.html | language = id}}</ref>

==Conservation==
[[File:Komodo Dragons in the wild on Rinca island Indonesia..jpg|thumb|upright|Komodo dragons on [[Rinca]]]]
The Komodo dragon is classified by the [[IUCN]] as [[Endangered]] and is listed on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name="IUCN" /> The species' sensitivity to natural and human-made threats has long been recognized by conservationists, zoological societies, and the Indonesian government. [[Komodo National Park]] was founded in 1980 to protect Komodo dragon populations on islands including Komodo, Rinca, and Padar.<ref name="knp">{{cite web |publisher=[[Komodo National Park]] |url=http://www.komodonationalpark.org/ |title=The official website of Komodo National Park, Indonesia |access-date=2 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205060400/http://www.komodonationalpark.org/ |archive-date=5 February 2007 }}</ref> Later, the Wae Wuul and Wolo Tado Reserves were opened on Flores to aid Komodo dragon conservation.<ref name="natgeo"/>

Komodo dragons generally avoid encounters with humans. Juveniles are very shy and will flee quickly into a hideout if a human comes closer than about {{convert|100|m|ft}}. Older animals will also retreat from humans from a shorter distance away. If cornered, they may react aggressively by gaping their mouth, hissing, and swinging their tail. If they are disturbed further, they may attack and bite. Although there are anecdotes of unprovoked Komodo dragons attacking or preying on humans, most of these reports are either not reputable or have subsequently been interpreted as defensive bites. Only very few cases are truly the result of unprovoked attacks by atypical individuals who lost their fear of humans.<ref name="auffenberg"/>

Volcanic activity, earthquakes, loss of habitat, fire,<ref name="location">{{cite book |author=Tara Darling (Illustrator) |title=Komodo Dragon: On Location (Darling, Kathy. on Location.) |publisher=Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books |isbn=978-0-688-13777-9 |year=1997 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/komododragon00tara }}</ref><ref name="natgeo">{{cite web |publisher=[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]]|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0129_030129_komodo.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205025617/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/0129_030129_komodo.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 December 2012 |title=Trapping Komodo Dragons for Conservation |access-date=8 November 2007}}</ref> tourism, loss of prey due to [[poaching]], and illegal poaching of the dragons themselves have all contributed to the vulnerable status of the Komodo dragon. A major future threat to the species is [[climate change]] via both [[aridification]] and [[sea level rise]], which can affect the low-lying habitats and valleys that the Komodo dragon depends on, as Komodo dragons do not range into the higher-altitude regions of the islands they inhabit. Based on projections, climate change will lead to a decline in suitable habitat of 8.4%, 30.2%, or 71% by 2050 depending on the [[climate change scenario]]. Without effective conservation actions, populations on Flores are extirpated in all scenarios, while in the more extreme scenarios, only the populations on Komodo and Rinca persist in highly reduced numbers. Rapid [[climate change mitigation]] is crucial for conserving the species in the wild.<ref name="IUCN"/><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Jones|first1=Alice R.|last2=Jessop|first2=Tim S.|last3=Ariefiandy|first3=Achmad|last4=Brook|first4=Barry W.|last5=Brown|first5=Stuart C.|last6=Ciofi|first6=Claudio|last7=Benu|first7=Yunias Jackson|last8=Purwandana|first8=Deni|last9=Sitorus|first9=Tamen|last10=Wigley|first10=Tom M. L.|last11=Fordham|first11=Damien A.|date=October 2020|title=Identifying island safe havens to prevent the extinction of the World's largest lizard from global warming|journal=Ecology and Evolution|language=en|volume=10|issue=19|pages=10492–10507|doi=10.1002/ece3.6705|issn=2045-7758|pmc=7548163|pmid=33072275|bibcode=2020EcoEv..1010492J }}</ref> Other scientists have disputed the conclusions about the effects of climate change on Komodo dragon populations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Supriatna|first=Jatna|title=Why we must reassess the komodo dragon's "Endangered" status|url=http://theconversation.com/why-we-must-reassess-the-komodo-dragons-endangered-status-168659|access-date=2021-10-08|website=The Conversation|date=27 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Under Appendix I of [[CITES]] (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), commercial international trade of Komodo dragon skins or specimens is prohibited.<ref name="zipcode">{{cite web |publisher=BayScience Foundation, Inc. |url=http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/V/Varanus_komodoensis |title=Zipcodezoo: Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon, Komodo Island Monitor, Komodo Monitor) |access-date=25 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412152348/http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/V/Varanus_komodoensis/ |archive-date=12 April 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[CITES]] |url=http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml |title=Appendices I, II and III |access-date=24 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311055724/http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=11 March 2008}}</ref> Despite this, there are occasional reports of illegal attempts to trade in live Komodo dragons. The most recent attempt was in March 2019, when Indonesian police in the [[East Java]] city of [[Surabaya]] reported that a criminal network had been caught trying to smuggle 41 young Komodo dragons out of Indonesia. The plan was said to include shipping the animals to several other countries in Southeast Asia through Singapore. It was hoped that the animals could be sold for up to 500 million [[Indonesian rupiah|rupiah]] (around US$35,000) each.<ref>'[https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/03/28/police-foil-attempt-to-export-komodo-dragons-for-rp-500-million-apiece.html Police foil attempt to export Komodo dragons for Rp 500 million apiece'], ''The Jakarta Post'', 28 March 2019.</ref> It was believed that the Komodo dragons had been smuggled out of [[East Nusa Tenggara]] province through the port at [[Ende, East Nusa Tenggara|Ende]] in central Flores.<ref>Markus Makur, '[https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/04/09/lax-security-flores-ports-allows-komodo-dragon-smuggling.html Lax security at Flores ports allows Komodo dragon smuggling'], ''The Jakarta Post'', 9 April 2019.</ref>

In 2013, the total population of Komodo dragons in the wild was assessed as 3,222 individuals, declining to 3,092 in 2014 and 3,014 in 2015. Populations remained relatively stable on the bigger islands (Komodo and Rinca), but decreased on smaller islands, such as Nusa Kode and Gili Motang, likely due to diminishing prey availability.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/05/komodo-population-continues-decline-national-park.html |title=Komodo population continues to decline at national park |author=Markus Makur |date=5 March 2016}}</ref> On [[Padar Island|Padar]], a former population of Komodo dragons has recently become [[extirpated]], of which the last individuals were seen in 1975.<ref name=Lilley1995>{{Cite thesis| title = A feasibility study on the in-situ captive breeding of Komodo dragons (''Varanus komodoensis'') on Padar Island, Komodo National Park| year = 1995| author = Lilley, R. P. H.|type=MS thesis |publisher=University of Kent |location=Canterbury, UK }}</ref> It is widely assumed that the Komodo dragon died out on Padar following a major decline of populations of large [[ungulate]] prey, for which poaching was most likely responsible.<ref name=SDZ>{{cite report|last=Jessop|first=T.S.|author2=Forsyth, D.M. |author3=Purwandana, D. |author4=Imansyah, M.J. |author5=Opat, D.S. |author6=McDonald-Madden, E. |year=2005 |title=Monitoring the ungulate prey of komodo dragons (''Varanus komodoensis'') using faecal counts |publisher=Zoological Society of San Diego, USA, and the Komodo National Park Authority, Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia |page=26 |citeseerx=10.1.1.172.2230}}</ref>

Since the species is only found in remnant populations in the Wallacean Island, studies have examined the traits and factors that led to these certain populations’ surprising persistence. A comprehensive examination of the species survival suggested that rather than being a single attribute, but the a combination including ectotherm traits, varanid biology, habitat, and anthropogenic factors.<ref>Shine, Richard; Somaweera, Ruchira (April 2019). "Last lizard standing: The enigmatic persistence of the Komodo dragon". Global Ecology and Conservation. 18: e00624. Bibcode:2019GEcoC..1800624S.</ref>

===In captivity===
[[File:Juvenile Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) 2.jpg|left|thumb|Juvenile at the [[Bronx Zoo]].]]
[[File:Varanidae - Varanus komodoensis - Komodo Dragon.webm|thumb|left|Komodo dragon feeding on a carcass, [[San Diego Zoo]] (video clip)]]

Komodo dragons have long been sought-after zoo attractions, where their size and reputation make them popular exhibits. They are, however, rare in zoos because they are susceptible to infection and parasitic disease if captured from the wild, and do not readily reproduce in captivity.<ref name="amnh" /> A pair of Komodo dragons was displayed at the [[Bronx Zoo]] in New York in September 1926, but they only lasted a couple of months, dying in October and November 1926.<ref name="barnard">{{cite journal |last=Barnard |first=Timothy P. |date=October 2011 |title=Protecting the Dragon: Dutch Attempts at Limiting Access to Komodo Lizards in the 1920s and 1930s |journal=Indonesian |pages=97–123|doi=10.5728/indonesia.92.0097 |volume=92|issue=92 }}</ref> The first Komodo dragons were displayed at [[London Zoo]] in 1927. A Komodo dragon was exhibited in 1934 in the United States at the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoo in Washington, D.C.]], but it lived for only two years. More attempts to exhibit Komodo dragons were made, but the lifespan of the animals in captivity at the time proved very short, averaging five years in the National Zoological Park. Studies were done by Walter Auffenberg, which were documented in his book ''The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor'', eventually allowing for more successful management and breeding of the dragons in captivity.<ref name="komo" /> [[Surabaya Zoo]] in Indonesia has been breeding Komodo dragons since 1990 and had 134 dragons in 2022, the largest collection outside its natural habitat.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://phys.org/news/2022-06-indonesian-zoo-dozens-endangered-baby.html|title=Indonesian zoo breeds dozens of endangered baby Komodo dragons|date=18 June 2022|access-date=1 December 2023|work=Phys}}</ref> As of May 2009, there were 35 North American, 13 European, one Singaporean, two African, and two Australian institutions which housed captive Komodo dragons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://app.isis.org/abstracts/Abs50024.asp |title=ISIS Abstracts |publisher=[[International Species Information System|ISIS]] |access-date=4 January 2009}}</ref> In 2016, four Komodo dragons were transferred from Bronx zoo to [[Madras Crocodile Bank Trust]] in India.<ref>{{cite news|title=A date with the dragons|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/a-date-with-komodo-dragons-in-chennai/article8489511.ece|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=18 April 2016|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref>

A variety of behaviors have been observed from captive specimens. Most individuals become relatively tame within a short time,<ref name="procter">{{cite journal |last=Procter |first=J.B. |date=October 1928 |title=On a living Komodo Dragon ''Varanus komodoensis'' Ouwens, exhibited at the Scientific Meeting |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |pages=1017–19|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1928.tb07181.x |volume=98 |issue=4|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="lederer">{{cite journal |last=Lederer |first=G. |year=1931 |title=Erkennen wechselwarme Tiere ihren Pfleger? |journal=Wochenschrift für Aquarien- und Terrarienkunde  |volume=28 |pages=636–38}}</ref> and are capable of recognising individual humans and discriminating between familiar and unfamiliar keepers.<ref name="dragons">{{cite journal |last=Murphy |first=James B. |author2=Walsh, Trooper |year=2006 |title=Dragons and Humans |journal=Herpetological Review | volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=269–75}}</ref> Komodo dragons have also been observed to engage in play with a variety of objects, including shovels, cans, plastic rings, and shoes. This behavior does not seem to be "food-motivated predatory behavior".<ref name="firefly" /><ref name="sciam"/><ref>{{cite journal |title=Such jokers, those Komodo dragons |journal=Science News | volume = 162|issue =1 |page= 78|date=August 2002 |doi=10.1002/scin.5591620516}}</ref>

Even seemingly docile dragons may become unpredictably aggressive, especially when the animal's territory is invaded by someone unfamiliar. In June 2001, a Komodo dragon seriously injured [[Phil Bronstein]], the then-husband of actress [[Sharon Stone]], when he entered its enclosure at the [[Los Angeles Zoo]] after being invited in by its keeper. Bronstein was bitten on his bare foot, as the keeper had told him to take off his white shoes and socks, which the keeper stated could potentially excite the Komodo dragon as they were the same colour as the white rats the zoo fed the dragon.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,133163,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030110859/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,133163,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 October 2010 |title=Transcript: Sharon Stone vs. the Komodo Dragon |access-date=20 March 2008 |date=23 June 2001 | first=Jess | last=Cagle}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Robinson, Phillip T. |title=Life at the Zoo: Behind the Scenes with the Animal Doctors |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |year=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lifeatzoobehind00robi/page/79 79] |isbn=978-0-231-13248-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeatzoobehind00robi/page/79 }}</ref> Although he survived, Bronstein needed to have several tendons in his foot reattached surgically.<ref>{{cite news |work=San Francisco Chronicle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/06/11/MN204069.DTL |title=Editor stable after attack by Komodo dragon / Surgeons reattach foot tendons of Chronicle's Bronstein in L.A. |access-date=23 March 2008 | first=Angelica | last=Pence | date=11 June 2001}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Reptiles|Indonesia}}
* [[List of largest extant lizards]]
* [[Komodo Indonesian Fauna Museum and Reptile Park]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |author=Attenborough, David |title=Zoo Quest for a Dragon|publisher=[[Lutterworth Press]]|location=London |year=1957 }}
* {{cite book |author=Auffenberg, Walter |author-link=Walter Auffenberg|title=The Behavioral Ecology of the Komodo Monitor |publisher=University Presses of Florida |location=Gainesville |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-8130-0621-5}}
* {{cite book |author=Burden, W. Douglas |title=Dragon Lizards of Komodo: An Expedition to the Lost World of the Dutch East Indies |publisher=G.P. Putnum's Sons |year=1927 |location = New York, London}}
* {{cite book |author1=Eberhard, Jo |author2=King, Dennis |author3=Green, Brian |author4=Knight, Frank |author5=Keith Newgrain |title=Monitors: The Biology of Varanid Lizards |publisher=Krieger Publishing Company |location=Malabar, Fla |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-57524-112-8}}
* {{cite book |author1=Lutz, Richard L |author2=Lutz, Judy Marie |title=Komodo: The Living Dragon |publisher=DiMI Press |location=Salem, Or |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-931625-27-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/komodolivingdrag00lutz_0 }}
* {{cite web |title=Natural Histories: Komodo Dragon |website=BBC Radio |format=Audio (28 minutes) |date=28 Aug 2018 |accessdate=21 Apr 2023 |first=Brett |last=Westwood |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bgfqx5}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons and category inline|Varanus komodoensis|Varanus komodoensis}}
* {{Wikispecies inline|Varanus komodoensis|''Varanus komodoensis''}}

{{Varanoidea}}
{{Indonesia topics}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q4504}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Apex predators]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Endangered fauna of Asia]]
[[Category:Endemic fauna of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Extant Zanclean first appearances]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Lesser Sunda Islands]]
[[Category:Komodo National Park]]
[[Category:Varanus]]
[[Category:National symbols of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1912]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Vertebrate parthenogenesis]]