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Komodo National Park has widely known with the
home of the giant lizard Komodo Dragon - which has just declare
to be one of the latest heritage of the world. Komodo National Park
is nestled between eastern Sumbawa and western Flores lie three
tiny grass-covered islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, which together
form the Komodo National Park, a protected wildlife reserve. This
is the home of the giants lizard known as the "Komodo Dragon"
it was thought to be a myth until the turn of the century, when
fishermen who were forced by a storm to take shelter on Komodo sight
the monsters.
Explore the under water live and its ecosystems
which has well known as the best diving site in the world. From
beautiful coral, reefs, thousands sort of fishes to the crystal
water and beautiful beach are await to visit. Komodo dragons live
in one of the driest area in Indonesia, where there are few permanent
water sources.
This
is the world's largest monitor lizard, varanus Komodoensies, when
full grown it measures up to 3.13 meters (10feet 2 inches) in length
and weight anything up to 165.9kg (365pounds). They are fearsome
creatures with enormous jaws, squat muscular legs and sharp claws.
Preying on live deer, goats and wild pigs, they lie in wait hidden
in the long grass
Young dragons spend most of their time in trees
but dragons over 1.5m long can not climb well. Dragons over 2 meters
are too heavy to climb trees. The Komodo dragons are constantly
regulating their body temperatures. In the early morning, they must
warm-up their bodies in the sun. If their body temperature drops
too low, the food in their stomach can rot and cause regurgitation
or even death. However, the Komodo dragon's body temperature must
not exceed 42 degrees celcius (108 degrees Fahrenheit). When it
is too hot, they must rest and seek shade to prevent their body
from over-heating. Dragons are most active from 6 - 10am in the
morning and again from 3 - 5pm in the afternoon. During the rainy
season. Komodo dragons stay in burrows if they are too cold. Komodo
dragons sleep at night because it is usually too cool for them to
be active. They will sleep where they will not loose too much heat
at the edge of the savanna and monsoon forest or in burrows. The
average sleeping burrow is only 75cm to 1.25m in length. The Komodo
dragons will use the burrows of rodents, palm civets, wild board,
porcupine (on Flores) and those made by other Komodo dragons. Nesting
burrows are about 2 meters long.
Fossils bearing a strong resemblance have been
unearths from chalk deposits dating back 130 million years, about
the end of the age of Dinosaurs. The few inhabitants dwelling on
Komodo today have built their Kampong on stilts right next to the
sea, and survive by dishing, as the land is dry and arid, almost
impossible to cultivate. The water surroundings the island are rich
in colorful corals, fish and shellfish, but there are nazardous
rip tides and strong currents which make diving too risk for the
novice.
Dolphins, whales and sea turtles are often seen
in the straits between the islands, and a rare species of giants
seawater crocodile has been sighted on isolated beach
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