Komodo Dragons live in a pretty rough habitat. While the species is considered “vulnerable,” they have still managed to survive, despite disasters that could quickly wipe them out.
Located on the other side of the world, south of the equator, sits Komodo Island in Indonesia. This small island is one of five that the Komodo Dragon calls home, and the climate there isn’t comfortable.
"I’ve taken surface temperatures on the island of 156 degrees. So these guys like it hot," said Tim Trout, a reptile keeper at the Denver Zoo.
The Denver Zoo keeps their Komodo Dragons inside to accommodate Colorado's temperature changes.
"Our general set-point for these guys is...an air temperature in the low 90s during the day, and we drop them down at night into the 80s," Trout said.
The dragons get basking areas that warm up to well over 100 degrees if they want to be warmer. They also have a sensor on their head -- the pineal gland -- that tells them when they need just that!
The gland senses ultraviolet light and they use it for thermoregulation to go in and out of light. It lets them know if they are warm enough.
The Komodo Dragon's climate also makes them vulnerable. Volcanoes, fires and tsunamis all threaten these creatures.
“Because they are on five small islands, it doesn’t take much to cause an extinction event with them," Trout said. "It’s a very dry habitat, particularly during the dry season, so a fire could easily spread rapidly. There’s no fire mitigation in the middle of Indonesia."
The Komodo Dragon’s ability to survive may also have something to do with its ability to procreate. The female does not necessarily need a male to produce eggs; she can do it all on her own.
When a female does produce eggs on her own, they will all be male.
