The Komodo dragon, an animal that looks quite prehistoric, is actually a .
The komodo dragon is the biggest monitor lizard in existence, .
living on the island of Komodo to the north of Australia. The Komodo dragon .
measures 10 feet in length and weighs well over 200 pounds (Ciofi 84). It reigns as .
chief predator on four islands, dining primarily on deer and wild boar, but also .
eating other Komodos and the occasional human (Endangered). Its bacteria-packed .
saliva is lethal and most victims don't last that long. The Komodo dragon is .
thought to be the source of Chinese legends of great scaly man-eating monsters, the .
dragons that are still featured prominently in Chinese folklore and religion. The .
decline in the population of Komodo dragons has created the rising issue of them .
being on the endangered species list. Why is it that there are now so few of these .
creatures and what is causing them to be endangered?.
Recent estimates by Ciofi suggest that fewer than 3,500 dragons live within .
the boundaries of Komodo Island National Park, which consists of the islands of .
Komodo (1,700 individuals), Rinca (1,300), Gili Motang (100) and Padar (none since .
the late 1970s), and some 30 other islets (Ciofi 85) where in 1996 there were more .
than 7,500 (Lutz 23). About another 2,000 Komodos may live in regions of the island .
of Flores. "The Komodo is now officially considered an extra rare and vulnerable .
species" according to the World Conservation Union. It is also protected under the .
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife, Fauna and .
Flora.
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The current population of Komodo dragons seems relatively stable at about .
5,000 animals, yet scientists are concerned that only 350 of them are breeding females .
(Endangered). This may be a normal sex ratio since little is known about the species. .
The dragon's limited distribution makes them highly susceptible to natural or .
human-caused events, such as storms, fire, or disease.