Animal Quick Facts
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Size
Adult males average 8.5 feet long and weigh between 175 and 200 pounds. Adult females average 7.5 feet long and weigh between 150 and 160 pounds.
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Diet
Pigs, goats, deer, young buffalo, and even horses. Young Komodo dragons eat rats, mice, and birds.
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Lifespan
12.9 years (median life expectancy for females) - 19.5 years (median life expectancy for males)
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Range
Indonesia, in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Rinca, Komodo, Flores, and the smaller islands of Gili, Montang, and Padar.
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Habitat
Tropical savanna forests, but range widely over the islands from beach to ridge top.
Varanus komodoensis
Location in the Zoo: Forest Passage
There are approximately 5,000 Komodo dragons in the world; it is considered a threatened species and is protected by the Indonesian government because only 350 of these 5,000 animals are breeding females.
A female lays 20 to 40 eggs, and the incubation period lasts for eight months.