Komodo dragons not only have the ferocious looks of a dragon, they also possess an impressive size – they are enormous! An adult male Komodo dragon can grow to over three metres in length and weigh an astonishing 160 kilogrammes, making them true heavyweights amongst lizards.

And there is one other superficial similarity between the Komodo dragon and “real” dragons: the mythical beasts are usually portrayed spitting flames from their nostrils and mouths. Komodo dragons don’t spit at their enemies, but they do have blood-red saliva that oozes from their mouth when they feed – an awesome sight! 

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Interestingly, this species, Varanus komodoensis, is not an Agamid but a monitor lizard belonging to the family Varanidae. The main feature that differentiates Varanids from other lizards is their forked tongue, which resembles those of snakes. The largest lizards on Earth, Komodo dragons (or “Ora”, as the natives call them) are only found on Komodo, Rinca and a few other small islands around Flores in Indonesia. Whilst other islands in the Nusa Tenggara chain are covered with lush jungle, Komodo and Rinca are barren, dry and hilly, and that is how the Komodo dragons like it. They prefer an open, savannah-like habitat rather than thick rainforest. After all, for such a large lizard, it is a difficult task to navigate through thick vegetation.