The national animal of Indonesia is Komodo dragon. The scientific names for Komodo dragon are Varanus komodoensis. It is basically a very large lizard can be found mainly in Indonesia.
10 Amazing Facts about Komodo Dragon :
- A Komodo dragon can weigh above 90 KG and can be 8-9 feet long. That’s a huge lizard!
- These big lizards were not discovered till 1912 by biologists so the native people called it oras which actually means land crocodile.
- Despite their bulky appearance, these Komodo dragons can attain a speed of 20 km/h while running.
- Komodo dragon can hunt buffaloes, deer, antelopes, boars, dogs etc.
- The appetite of this lizard is great, it can eat twice as much of its weight in one feed.
- As per IUCN, the population of the Komodo dragon on Indonesian Islands is somewhere near 6000 in their natural habitats.
- A 2009 finding showed that their Silva is actually venomous and can dissolve tissues.
- Asexual reproduction has been observed in these monstrous lizards.
- Although native people refer them as land crocodile but they are very good swimmers.
- The life span of Komodo dragon which has been observed is 50 years in wild and 60-65 years in captivity.
Why is Komodo Dragon the national animal of Indonesia ?
As they are found only in Indonesian islands, it was picked as the national animal of the country. However, it is still called oras (land crocodile) in the country.