Komodo dragon: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Komodo dragon lives – recorded in 1 country, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Varanus komodoensis
Group	Lizards, geckos & tuatara
Status	Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	1 country
Continents	Asia
Mass	70 kg
Length	1.5 m
Lifespan	30 years
Speed	20 km/h (short distance)
Diet (main food)	carrion
Class	Reptile
Order	Squamata
Family	Varanidae

Where does the Komodo dragon live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Komodo dragon in 1 country or territory across Asia. Wikidata lists it as endemic to Indonesia. Wikidata gives its range as: East Nusa Tenggara.

Indonesia

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How big is a Komodo dragon?

Wikidata records the following for the Komodo dragon: mass 70 kg; length 1.5 m.

How long does a Komodo dragon live?

Wikidata records a life expectancy of 30 years for the Komodo dragon.

How fast is a Komodo dragon?

Wikidata records a speed of 20 km/h (short distance) for the Komodo dragon.

What does a Komodo dragon eat?

Wikidata lists the main food source of the Komodo dragon as: carrion.

Is the Komodo dragon endangered?

The Komodo dragon’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Komodo dragon?

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a reptile in the order Squamata and the family Varanidae, genus Varanus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Komodo dragon

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a large reptile of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Dasami, and Gili Motang. The largest extant population lives within the Komodo National Park in Eastern Indonesia. It is the largest extant species of lizard, with the males growing to a maximum length of 3 m (10 ft) and weighing up to 150 kg (330 lb).

As a result of their size, which is exceptional among reptiles, Komodo dragons are apex predators, dominating the ecosystems in which they live. Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey; juveniles take small prey like invertebrates or birds, and adults favour larger mammals, occasionally even attacking humans. The diet of adult Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa and feral pigs, though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Komodo dragon (revision 1376697946), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q4504 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).