Welcome to the Gladys Porter Zoo Department of Herpetology weblog!
This is where you can check on happenings with reptiles and amphibians at the Zoo! Our large herp collection includes king cobras, Komodo dragons, Galapagos tortoises, and Cuban crocodiles, among many others. So there is often something going on.
Our first installment is about an exciting new introduction to the Zoo, our new Komodo dragon exhibit, Realm of the Dragon! It is spacious and provides natural outdoor light while allowing for temperature control in the winter months. With the addition of our new adult male Komodo from the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, Texas, our new exhibit is very close to its opening. The male dragon is magnificent, measuring more than 8 feet in length and dwarfing our female. Both are captive born and very healthy. Komodos are fascinating lizards, alert but not nervous. They like plenty of heat and their appetites are incredible. When we enter their enclosure with a food item, they quickly start exploring the area with their long, snake-like tongues. Soon they catch a whiff of the food and come lumbering forward. People are often amazed at how quickly they devour a small food item such as a rat, swallowing it whole in a few seconds. Then the tongue is usually out again as the dragon tries to discern if seconds are being served. In the wild they are capable of eating 80% of their body weight in a single meal. Their bladed, serrated teeth, much like small tyrannosaur teeth, can hack up a carcass pretty quickly. Needless to say, we have no intention of being on the menu.
Photographer: Patricia Scanlan
3 comments:
Great pic and an amazing creature! I was heartened to know that this individual was captive born rather than pulled from the wild. I am wondering what other health requirements the dragons have besides proper diet and enclosure. I am wondering if others such as I think that this might be a delicate species to keep healthy.
I am sure there will be many visitors excited to see this fellow!
Thanks for your interest in this amazing animal, Don. Komodos are in a family of lizards called monitors, and many species are rather delicate. We have 3 other species of monitors at the Zoo, the little green and blue tree monitors and the crocodile monitor of New Guinea. We have succeeded in breeding 2 of these in the past. In comparison the Komodo is relatively easy to maintain, particularly if you start with captive-born individuals as we have. Komodos require plenty of heat and plenty of food, but they are hardy animals that rarely seem to suffer debilitating diseases. We have hopes of breeding our pair of Komodos, stay tuned for developments!
David L. Martin, Head Keeper
Department of Herpetology
Excellent job on the cobras. By the way, say "Hi" to Jahat for us in Lufkin.
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