Welcome to Gaia! ::

The Sleeping Dragon:

Name: Varanus komodoensis
Brief summery: The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard species. It is found mainly on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar, and Flores. There are only an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 of these monitor lizards living today. Reaching lengths of up to 3 m or more, and weighing up to 126 kg, these reptiles are swift runners and climbers with great appetites for deer and wild boar.
Their saliva is not venomous, but the mouth of a Komodo dragon is so full of bacteria that a bite from one almost always leads to infection. If untreated, the infection is usually fatal. This is one way in which the dragons get food. They hide in the scraggly jungle and wait for a victim to pass by. The victim is most often a deer, carabao or goat. The dragon attacks the prey, and may succeed in killing it on the spot. Otherwise, the bites sustained by the victim will generally kill it eventually, and the dragons will then eat the carrion.
Bacteria: Many species of Varanus have been thought to have poisonous bites but it is more likely that the bacterial culture in their saliva produces a severe septic wound. Four bacterium species have been identified: Staphilococcus sp, Providencia sp, Proteus morgani and Proteus mirabilis.
Staphilococcus sp - Symptoms and signs can include fever, hypothermia (may be delayed), rigors, tachycardia, hypotension or hypertension, and mental status changes. Shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome can occur.
Proteus morgani - Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea occur within 24-48 hours of bite. After a couple of watery motions you get dehydrated which causes more complications.
- Due to decomposition of Proteus morgani and other bacteria, which convert muscle histidine to saurine, histamine and other toxins, symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and respiratory paralysis can be common if untreated.
Details:* Largest living lizard. (Males: 3 m, 90 kg; Females 2 m, 70 kg)
* Average field weight: about 47 kg. (Heaviest 54 kg)
* Average field length: Up to 260 cm
* Head raised to full extent is approximately 40 cm above the ground. When lowered the animal is less than 20 cm high (Long neck can stretch to give the dragon a better view of its surroundings in tall grass.
* Toes have sharp, recurved claws.
* Juvenile Komodos are slender and agile. Adults are massive with flatter bodies and proportionately shorter tails
Eating -
* Teeth are specialized for a carnivorous diet. They are serrated, compressed laterally, and curved posteriorly with a sharp tip and broad base, (Curved teeth are better than straight teeth for catching and holding prey). Although many varanids have one or two replacement teeth at each position, the komodo has four or five. Longest teeth are approximately 2 cm.
* Short intestine is typical of carnivores (Diets high in proteins and lipids don't require a great deal of digestive processing)
* Tongue is long and narrow with a deep fork at its tip. It does not move freely in the mouth, but retracts into a sheath. It is partially supported by a complex structure of bone and cartilage called the hyoid apparatus. Varanids are unique in using their tongues only as a sensory organ for locating prey and as a socialization tool. Other lizards use the tongue to manipulate food.
* Swallowing is accomplished by pushing prey down the throat while the flexible jaws move forward to engulf it. Large prey is torn apart. The hyoid apparatus moves it back to the esophagus. Neck muscles bend from side to side to move food through the esophagus.
Colouration -
* Most adults are uniformly gray or clay-colored. Until the age of four they have much brighter, speckled skin. (Komodos of Flores retain brighter coloration)
* There is little sexual dimorphism. The flanks of adult females have more red than males. Yellowish-green nose spots are more common in males
* The light yellow tongue is species specific. (V. salvator has a blue tongue, V. dumerili and V. grayi have pink tongues)
* Sense of smell extremely important in food detection. Komodos can detect the scent of carrion from as far as 11 km.
Extra -
* All varanids are ectotherms. (Heat their bodies by basking and absorbing energy from the sun or warm surfaces. Cool themselves by seeking shade, or burrowing.
* Hissing is one of few sounds made. It is usually associated with defensive behavior and is used during feeding, during attacks and frequently by females during mating.
Images: Close up, Full length, Camrey, I feel pretty!, Dragon acupuncture, Long neck, Colour variations, Long tounge

Photo Album:

Offical art of child stage

Little sketch of Ora

Note: art © the respective artists.