Komodo Dragon

Lore & Background

In the Komodo language, the dragons are called sebae 'twins' out of a traditional belief by the Komodo people that they share the same spiritual mother as the dragons. The Baar people, who speak the Baar dialect of Riung language, call the Komodo dragon mbau. To the natives of Komodo Island, it is referred to as ora, buaya darat ('land crocodile'), or biawak raksasa ('giant monitor'). Western scientists first recorded Komodo dragons in 1910. Widespread notoriety came after 1912, when Peter Ouwens published a paper on the topic. The first two live Komodo dragons to arrive in Europe were exhibited in the Reptile House at London Zoo when it opened in 1927. Joan Beauchamp Procter made some of the earliest observations of these animals in captivity. W. Douglas Burden coined the common name 'Komodo dragon' and his 1926 expedition provided the inspiration for the 1933 movie King Kong.

In Their Own Story

Raja the Komodo dragon lives in the Expedition: Asia exhibit at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. The exhibit was originally a traveling exhibit that opened on June 15, 2016, and was renovated in 2026 to become a permanent home for Raja and other species from Indonesia and New Guinea. The aquarium does not provide specific details about Raja's daily routine or interactions, but the exhibit includes a new playground for guests and features numerous animals from the region. Raja shares the space with clouded leopards, binturongs, a monkey skink, a black tree monitor, Asian small-clawed otters, and a coconut crab, among others.

Reader's Guide

Komodo dragons are apex predators. Adults hunt and ambush prey; juveniles take small prey like invertebrates or birds, and adults favour larger mammals, occasionally attacking humans. The diet of adult Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa and feral pigs, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Young Komodo dragons dwell in trees to avoid predators, including cannibalistic adults, and also try to repel them by rolling in feces. They take 8 to 11 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years (or by some estimates as much as 62 years). Mating begins between May and August, and eggs are laid in September; as many as 20 eggs are deposited at a time. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April. In the wild, adult Komodo dragons usually weigh around 70 kg (150 lb). The largest verified specimen in captivity was 3.1–3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg. The largest wild specimen had a length of 3.04 m and a mass of 81.5 kg excluding stomach contents. The heaviest reached a mass of 87.4 kg. The Komodo dragon has a tail as long as its body, about 60 serrated teeth, and a long, yellow, deeply forked tongue. Its skin is reinforced by armoured scales containing osteoderms. Komodo dragons have orange, iron-enriched coatings on their tooth serrations and tips. Teeth are quickly replaced every 40 days.

Did You Know?

• Komodo dragons are the largest extant species of lizard, with males reaching up to 3 m (10 ft) and 150 kg (330 lb).
• Young Komodo dragons roll in feces to repel cannibalistic adults.
• The Komodo dragon was the inspiration for the 1933 movie King Kong.
• Komodo dragons have orange, iron-enriched coatings on their teeth to maintain sharp cutting edges.
• The largest verified captive Komodo dragon was 3.13 m long and weighed 166 kg.