The largest lizards on Earth, komodo dragons are in fact lizards. These lizards can grow as huge as 10 feet (three meters), which is about equivalent to the size of a compact automobile. On average, they can weigh up to 154 pounds, but measurements have occasionally reached 135 kilos, or around a panda bear’s weight.

When ʜᴜɴᴛing, Komodo dragons are famed for their lethal, toxic strikes. It was believed that these lizards secreted venom proteins that were comparable to those of ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs snakes before the University of Queensland revealed this to be untrue. It was also believed that these lizards carried various bacteria strains in their saliva that might harm prey animals.

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Komodo dragons are only found on five Iɴᴅᴏɴᴇsɪᴀn islands; they are absent from the rest of the world.  The main island that bears their name, Komodo Island, is home to the greatest number of komodo dragons in the entire globe.

Komodo dragons have survived for millions of years in the harsh climate of Iɴᴅᴏɴᴇsɪᴀ’s Lesser Sunda Islands. They are widespread across the islands, but they prefer the tropics. These active komodo dragons may sprint up to seven kilometers each day, but they often stay ᴄʟᴏsᴇ to home and don’t venture outside of the valleys where they were born.