Komodo dragons

« The Komodo dragon is a ferocious predator! »

A “monster” among reptiles

A genuinely greedy giant!

Measuring up to 3.1 metres long and weighing up to 165 kg, the Komodo dragon (or monitor) is the largest lizard in the world. This extremely stocky, imposing-looking reptile possesses a breastplate and an extremely muscular tail. Do not be fooled by this animal’s somewhat calm, clumsy appearance: the Komodo dragon is a ferocious predator! It will devour anything that comes within reach including pigs, monkeys, and deer. It gets its name, “Komodo dragon”, due to its size and its gigantic appetite.

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The Komodo dragons’ first outing

The dragons are coming!

The largest of all lizards, the Komodo dragon, makes its debut in the equatorial dome! This infamous, formidable, and predatory reptile takes its first steps in the extraordinary structure of the dome. Meet the 3 young females who have just arrived at Beauval!

Beauval Nature supports the Komodo Survival Program

The Komodo Survival Program (KSP) NGO signed a memorandum of agreement with the Indonesian Directorate General of Nature Resources and Ecosystem Conservation in 2007, allowing it to supervise and act towards the protection of the Komodo dragon’s natural habitat. Following the decline of the populations of these monitors due to expansion of human activities, this agreement is a necessity. Beauval Nature is committed to protecting this giant, as terrifying as it is captivating.

Discover this program

Drac, Beauval’s imposing dragon

Of the three Komodo dragons living at the ZooParc de Beauval, Drac is the only male.
Although still young, Drac already measures 3 meters long and weighs 165 kilos!
Although he seems quite calm, he has a particularly voracious appetite and relishes tucking into the animal carcasses that his trainers bring him.

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Endangered

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Learn more about the species

Range

Asia

Diet

Carnivore
Incubation

8 months
Clutch size

30 eggs
Habitat

Pastures, Forests, Rocky coasts

A carnivore with cannibalistic tendencies!

The Komodo dragon’s diet consists mainly of carrion, often from animals killed by its terrifying, slow-acting venom. But almost 10 % of its diet is made up of other Komodo dragons! To limit populations and competition on its territory, this terrible lizard even goes so far as to eat the eggs of other Komodo dragons, and very young individuals. To protect themselves from this cannibalism, new-born dragons hide in the trees where adults cannot reach them.

An incredibly powerful venom

This great predator, the Komodo dragon, has two formidable weapons for hunting. The first is its saliva. Upon biting its prey, the Komodo dragon releases an explosive cocktail of 57 strains of bacteria. Its second weapon is its venom. This venom has both anticoagulant and hypertensive properties. In other words, it prevents wounds from healing whilst also increasing the victim’s blood pressure and heart rate. The dragon therefore only needs to bite once and then wait for its prey to fall due to infection or severe bleeding.

An extremely rare mode of reproduction

The Komodo dragon’s distinctive characteristics do not stop there. On isolated islets and in zoological parks, cases of parthenogenesis have been observed. This very rare mode of reproduction allows populations made up entirely of females to reproduce without a male! The female lays viable eggs from which only young males hatch, allowing the species to continue to reproduce. This fascinating phenomenon of species self-preservation is also observed in other reptiles and some amphibians.