Were we to play the game \u2018Word Association\u2019, most of you would surely follow \u2018sun\u2019 with \u2018moon\u2019 and \u2018cat\u2019 with \u2018dog\u2019. If \u2018Komodo\u2019 was the first word chosen, it\u2019s highly likely most of you would say \u2018dragon\u2019.<\/p>\n
This enormous reptile, which takes its name from the island that Westerners first documented it to be on, has a celebrity status that stretches way beyond its incredibly restricted range within the Indonesian archipelago\u2019s Lesser Sundas region, primarily due to its status as the\u00a0world\u2019s largest lizard.<\/p>\n
These fork-tongued leviathans can reach up to 3m in length, and after a large meal, could weigh in at close to 150kg. Possessing long, powerful tails, strong, agile necks and muscular limbs, the adults are a uniform stone colour, while the young tend to be brighter and more distinctly marked.<\/p>\n
The region\u2019s top predators, adult Komodos will eat anything, from scavenged carcasses to prey ranging from small rodents to Timor deer and even water buffalo. The species also has a penchant for cannibalism, meaning young Komodos usually spend their first few years up in the trees to stay out of reach.<\/p>\n
Despite being able to hit speeds of up to 20kmh over short distances, the dragon\u2019s main hunting strategy is to rely on strength\u00a0and power. After spending hours patiently waiting out of sight, it will spring an attack on any unsuspecting victim passing by.<\/p>\n
If the dragon is initially unsuccessful in overpowering its prey, it will quickly retreat rather than risking injury, knowing that any bites inflicted from its curved, serrated teeth will become instantly contaminated by the cocktail of bacteria and venom in its saliva.<\/p>\n
With the prey now in shock from the resultant blood loss, and any infection quickly taking hold, it will usually die a few days later. All the Komodo then has to do is sniff out the body.<\/p>\n
Since they frequently have to share large meals with other dragons in the vicinity, Komodos are capable of swallowing huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. And during these \u2018all you can eat buffets\u2019, their stomachs quickly expand, allowing the adults to consume up to 80 per cent of their own bodyweight in a single sitting.<\/p>\n
The Komodo mating season usually runs between late June and August, which also coincides with the driest part of the year across the Sundas.<\/p>\n
While these monitor lizards are generally solitary by nature, a behavioural switch suddenly sees the males roaming away from their home range to search out receptive females. Since males outnumber the smaller, lighter females by a ratio of more than three to one, there are often dramatic clashes between evenly matched suitors.<\/p>\n
Rearing up on their tails for support, the males then initiate an upright wrestling match, with the aim of throwing their opponent to the ground. The loser then either runs off, or admits defeat by lying in a prone and submissive position.<\/p>\n
While blood is frequently drawn, the dragons\u2019 apparent immunity to their injuries almost always sees them living to fight another day.<\/p>\n
The triumphant male displays a more tender side while courting the female, with a combination of back scratches, chin rubs and licks. Once mated, the female lays up to 30 eggs in a depression she has dug, then spends much of the ensuing nine-month incubation period on the nest. Soon after hatching, the young find that the apron strings have already been severed, necessitating a quick shin-up a nearby tree.<\/p>\n