Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
5 amazing facts about komodo dragons
1) Komodo dragons are not dragons
Komodo dragons are in fact, lizards, and they are by far the largest lizards on Earth. These lizards can grow up to ten feet long (three meters), approximately the length of a small car. They’re heavy, too - they can weigh up to 154 pounds on average, but have been weighed up to 135 kilograms, which is approximately the same weight as a panda bear!
2) Komodo dragons are venomous
Komodo dragons are known for their notorious, venomous hunting strikes. It used to be believed that these lizards had various strains of bacteria in their saliva that killed prey, but this theory was discredited by the University of Queensland and it is now believed that they secrete venom proteins similar to that of venomous snakes.
3) They live on their own island!
Komodo dragons are only present on five Indonesian islands, and in no other country in the world. Four of these islands make up what is known as Komodo National Park, and the fifth island is that of Flores. The main island that is home to the largest amount of komodo dragons in the world is named after these lizards; it is so-named Komodo Island.
4) Komodo dragons may have originated in Australia
According to various research publications, including that of the prestigious Smithsonian magazine, there is new fossil evidence that suggests the komodo dragon originated in Australia! Numerous fossils were unearthed by a team of international scientists in eastern Australia, dating back from 300,000 years ago to roughly 4 million years ago, that are identical to current-day komodo dragons.
5) They have an excellent sense of smell
As with most reptiles, the komodo dragons use their forked tongues instead of noses to smell. They can detect a rotting prey from 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away. Their sense of hearing and sight, however, are less than impressive.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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