Komodo-lizard - gluttonous giant, capable of parthenogenesis

Komodo is a lizard that inhabits the four islands of Indonesia (Flores, Komodo, Rincha, Gili Motang), where it is a full-fledged mistress who has no enemies. On average, he lives up to 50 years. Komodo Varan is one of the largest representatives of the varana family.

Komodo is a lizard that, with good nutrition, can reach a mass of 150 kg and a body length of about 3 meters, half of which will be on the tail. The color is dark brown with small yellow patches. Has a pair of poison glands located on the lower jaw. Vision and hearing are not developed very much, but the sense of smell is excellent, its function is performed by a tongue, bifurcated at the end. Moving on strong, thick legs, he constantly puts out his tongue and feels them all that meets on the way.

Lizard Komodo have a large head with shining eyes in the sun. Heavy folds of the skin, hanging on the neck, the skin in the horny plates, powerful jaws with sharp three-centimeter teeth - all this resembles a prehistoric monster, miraculously surviving to the present day.

Giant lizards are komodo - predators, and very voracious. Four adults can eat 80 kg of meat in just a few minutes, tearing off Five-kilogram pieces and, not chewing, swallowing them. After being full, they rest for a while, digest food and again go out hunting.

Like most reptiles, a komodo (lizard) does not pursue prey, but lies in wait for it (it may be a wild pig, a deer and even a buffalo). Approaching the victim she knocks down with a blow of the tail, presses to the ground and bites the carotid artery.

The object of hunting is not only large animals, but also birds, rodents, snakes and even insects. It's interesting to catch a lizard-moma lizard. Waiting for the moment when the herd of monkeys will be on the ground, it breaks into the middle and grabs any, as they all become stunned with horror at the sight of a predator. By the way, "komodo" is translated as "an island of rats". Probably, they were here before, but now they are almost none - all were eaten by monitor lizards.

In the mating season, constant clashes between males, They are 3.5 times larger than females. Mating occurs usually in July. A few weeks later The female lays up to 25 large eggs weighing approximately 0.2 kg. The masonry she protects about 8 months, until the young will hatched. After leaving the eggs, the locusts immediately leave the mother, climbing the closely located trees. They will spend there about two first years of life, so as not to be eaten by older congeners. But on the tree they may be in danger: snakes and birds of prey. Cubs grow slowly, feed on caught insects and birds.

A surprising fact: Komodo is a lizard that can reproduce without the participation of a male. If for some reason she was left alone during the rut, the eggs will be laid off anyway, but they will be unfertilized, only the males will be born out of them.

On the Komodo lizard, a lot is known today, but there are also unanswered questions. For example, it is known that they are of Australian origin, but it is not clear how they got to the islands of Indonesia. They can swim, but swim a huge distance - hardly. In general, the komodo-lizard continues to remain a mysterious animal, of which much remains to be learned.