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Komodo Dragon

Varanus komodoensis

The Komodo dragon is the world's largest living lizard, endemic to a few Indonesian islands. Once thought to rely on bacteria-laden bites, they are now known to deliver venom through glands in their lower jaw.

Mass (typical / record)
135 kg
Top speed
19 km/h
Body length
2.5 m
Diet
Carnivore
Habitats
tropical-forest, savannah, island

IUCN: EN (Endangered)

Inspired legends of dragons in Indonesian folklore. Only discovered by Western science in 1910. Their extreme isolation on a handful of islands makes them a flagship species for island conservation.