This is the story of the dragon. Not just legends, but it really is a dragon up to now still inhabit the eastern Indonesian islands and the middle. The giant reptiles of this world have a reputation as a top predator in the class.

Since the first in Komodo Island, Islands in the Flores, Indonesia, the story has appeared on a giant dragon. Many seamen told that the dragon is more like a frightening monster.

Komodo tails that can throw a big buffalo with only one switch . A big jaw and strong, able to swallow a pig in a forest movement. From the mouth, and always give out the fire.

This story was spread wide and attract many people. But never dare to approach the island to prove. Until finally in 1910-an early, appearing in a report from the group’s fleet of combat ships of the Netherlands lived in Flores about the mysterious creature allegedly “dragon” inhabit a small island in the Lesser Sunda Islands (now in the Flores Island, Nusa Tenggara).

The Dutch sailor military gives a report that the possibility is being sized up to seven meters long, with a body and a giant mouth that always give out the fire. Lieutenant Steyn van Hensbroek, an official Dutch Colonial Administration in the area Flores heard this report and the stories cover the island of Komodo. He is also planning a trip to Komodo Island.

Bring a weapon with a gang of trained, he landed on the island. . After several days on the island, Hensbroek successfully kill one species is strange.

He took him to headquarters and made measurements of the length of it with the length of approximately 2.1 meters. Lizard shape is very similar. Then photogenic animals (documented) by Peter A Ouwens, Director of the Zoological Museum and Botanical Gardens Bogor, Java. This is the first documentation of Komodo.

Ouwens interested in the findings of these strange animals. He then recruited a cunning hunter to capture specimens for him. The successful hunters to kill two tails sized Komodo 3.1 meters and 3.35 meters, plus two children capturing Komodo, each measuring one meter below.

Based on the catch of the hunter, the Ouwens research and concluded that the Komodo dragon sparger not fire, but including the type of monitor lizard (monitor lizard) in the class reptilia.

Research results are then published in the newspaper, publication 1912. In telling it, Ouwens give advice on the name of the giant lizard Varanus komodoensis as a nickname Komodo Dragon (Komodo Dragon).

Komodo realize the importance of rare animals, the Government of the Netherlands issued a regulation on the protection and Komodo dragons on Komodo Island in 1915. Be the conservation area as the Komodo.

Findings as the Komodo dragon living legend, fishing curiosity international world. Several scientific expeditions from different countries take turns in doing research on the island of Komodo.

Prehistoric animals that survive

After World War I, a scientific expedition designed to conduct research Komodo. At 1926, the expedition led by W Douglas Burden from the American Museum of Natural History with the most modern device research, conducting research for months.

Expedition involving tens of people that catch the tail Komodo 27. They perform surgical anatomy and identification of species. From where the first scientific reports about Komodo made.

Komodo has been described that have a large head and strong, has a pair of shining eyes, the skin hard, thick and wiry. Have wrinkled jowl skin under his neck.

Biawak with similar shapes, with four big legs, also fat, big and long tail. Has 26 sharp teeth, each measuring 4 cm, have a fork tongue, bright red. IIf viewed from a distance, the tongue will be issued similar to the fire, because Komodo dragons often protrude like talking snakes.

Komodo also powerful hunter. He bites on the bacteria and toxic to eat one’s words paralyze prey. He will follow prey that have been hurt for days, until finally died, then he ate. As karnivora and Scavenger (carrion eater), Komodo dragons are found only on the island of Komodo, Rinca Island, Pulau Padar, Gili Motang, Owadi and Samiin. Komodo also known as a champion swimming animal. With the way that he conducted exploration on the islands of Flores.

Fossil

Meanwhile in mid-20th century, in Australia’s fossil found after the ancient creatures are very similar to the Komodo dragons. Based on the test carbon, fossil is believed to originate from the period 60-30 million years ago. This means that the tenant had Komodo mainland Australia in the prehistoric period.

However, researchers still confused about relationship with Komodo Island with Komodo fossil from Australia. Despite the history of earth’s geology show that used in Australia and some islands of Indonesia is one piece, but the Komodo Island form is estimated about 1 million years ago.

Meanwhile, based on research, prehistoric Komodo already extinct for at least 30 million years ago, before the island of Komodo form. So why Komodo can only be found on Komodo Island and its surrounding area? Since when Komodo do inhabit Komodo Island? While never found callosity Komodo impressions in other places (except Australia). This is a mystery that requires further research.

The birth of Komodo’s Up “Virgin”

Exactly 18 days ago, on the experts at the zoo Zoology Chester Zoo, Manchester, England, ended. A natural phenomenon that surprising world of knowledge about animals. A female Komodo dragons are still virgin, lay eggs and hatch successfully five of them.
Based on the news that Associated Press quoted, so the name of Flora, the Komodo is a female-five successful birth baby Komodo no role pejantan and the Komodo Island in the fertilization process.

“Flora is very amazing, once we are happy to know he is the father while the mother of the babys,” said Kevin Buley, curator for the zoo vertebrata and invertebrates.

In mid-January 2007, eggs broken start after eight months the period that occurred on 23 January 2007 peak, with the birth of five Komodo dragons. Meanwhile, the other two eggs sit still.

“Implementation of the conservation breeding program is very unusual, because this opens a new road, where the animals-animals can potentially become a colony on an island,” Buley said.

“Females are able to swim across the new island, and brood eggs, then coitus with a male baby and a sexual generation produces a new normal,” he added.

DNA tests provide evidence that accurate Flora truly successful birth to her son without male.

The size of the dragon babies is between 16 inches (40 cm) to reach 18 inches (45 cm) and weighed between 3 ½ - 4 ½ oz (100-125 grams).

Eat crickets and locusts

The five children descent Komodo Flora is born in a state of healthy and only eat crickets and locusts as diet food diet. This is in accordance with the original life of Komodo in the wild.

Based on scientific knowledge, while growing up, Komodo dragons babys can reach the size of 10 feet long (3 meters) and has a weight about 300 pounds (135 kilograms). If reach the size of this extraordinary, they will be able to eat a pig or deer.

So , taste the food in the wild reptiles this explains why Flora is not left near the children. “There is no self insting motherhood on Komodo. So, it is natural to keep the childrens far away from mother. Mother tries to eat anything in front near, “said Buley.

According to the data, around 70 species of reptiles including snakes and the lizard is able to reproduce the aseksual (without sex copulate) in a process known scientifically as partenogenesis. However, the virginity concept (virginitas) Flora and another Komodo dragon in April at London Zoo is the first time documented.

Two virginitas this conception was announced in September, which in a scientific paper in the journal Nature.

The Komodo Island

Komodo is a original animal Flores Island, Nusa Tenggara. islands which to stay Komodo this place is named in accordance with the name of this animal found in the 1910 time, that is, the island of Komodo (Komodo Island).

Giant lizard-lizard including the nearly extinct animal with a population of wild nature in less than 4000 head. To protect the Komodo, in 1980 agreed to establish conservation areas in the Komodo National Park on Komodo Island and small islands around it.

And a population of Komodo dragons in the last three decades is the decline and threatened the existence, especially as a result of hunting deer, as the main prey. Even the population on the island of Padar has been missing since the late 1990s, when, in the early 1980s, the Komodo dragons can be found in there. Attention and conservation efforts should be given this species in particular, because Komodo population almost extinction.

For some residents on the island of Komodo, animals are considered more dangerous to humans than crocodiles, because bacteri in the spit can be serious infections.

Usually, the season copulation Komodo occurred between June-July. In August, a female will excavate nest mound used to be burnt bird nest (Anas reindwardt) on the hill, and digs holes in the ground, to save the eggs can reach 38 grains. Komodo eggs are usually guarded by mother, but a new child born in the month of February or March is not kept, are often eaten.

Komodo need five years to grow to the size of two meters and can hold up to 30 years of life. Entering the 4-5 year period is the beginning of sexual maturity in Komodo.

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