Varanus komodoensis                  Carnivore         Diurnal          Status: Vulnerable

The largest extant lizard, the Komodo dragon is found on five Indonesian islands. They may represent a small surviving population of large lizards that were once spread over Indonesia and Australia but which died out about 12,000 years ago. They are apex predators which dominate their ecosystem, and are the only reptile to hunt in groups, deer being a preferred target.

Baby komodos are vulnerable to cannibalism so often stay in trees, eating insects, eggs and geckos. Defenseless upon hatching, they eventually mature to weigh about 70 kg. Komodo dragons create burrows to sleep in, which enable them to conserve body heat.

Game photo courtesy of Brian Long.

SchilMil Games also gratefully acknowledges Nina Hofstadler, whose additional photographs of the komodo dragon were used in many of our promotional materials.

Mr K stars in a series of three short cartoons that you can view here.