10 facts about komodo dragons

1. Komodo dragons can grow to nearly 10 feet, or three meters, in length. And they can weigh as much as 300 pounds, or approximately 135 kilograms.
2. These great lizards can live as long as fifty years, though they tend to average about 30 years.
3. The bite of komodo dragons is deadly, but not because of any poison. The saliva of komodo dragons is full of as many as 50 different types of bacteria, and this usually causes blood poison within any creatures bitten. Death commonly results within 24 hours, and that's if the bitten creature actually survives the initial bite.
4. These giant lizards are naturally found on only four islands in the world, all within Indonesia. The four islands are Komodo, Rinca, Flores and Gila Motang.
5. Komodo dragons usually live alone. They generally only gather for breeding and sometimes feeding.
6. The meals of this reptile mainly consist of carrion. That's right, dead animals. Though sometimes they will capture smaller prey for a meal.
7. As can be expected, this reptile is the largest living species of lizard found on Earth today. But believe it or not, it is not the largest reptile found on the planet. That honor goes to the saltwater crocodile, which can grow to 20 feet in length. That's more than six meters.
8. Komodo dragons were not discovered by scientists until the year 1910.
9. Female komodo dragons lay about 20 eggs at a time, which is once a year in September.
10. Young komodo dragons live in trees to protect themselves from predators and other ground dangers. They usually grow to maturity within three to five years, by which time they are far to heavy to remain in trees.