A Handful of Dragons

tags: , ,

This streaming video shows the "small miracles" that are hatching out at the Denver Zoo: the rare and difficult-to-breed Komodo Dragons. Komodo dragons are large lizards native to several small islands in Indonesia [2:25].

More like this

For centuries local villagers who lived around what is now Komodo National Park in Indonesia fed slaughtered animals to their neighbors, giant Komodo dragons. The locals believe that the dragons are the reincarnation of their ancestors and townsfolk, and would leave offerings of dead meat at the…
According to Christian lore, Mary gave birth to baby Jesus without ever having had sex with Joseph. A biologist might describe this as 'parthenogenesis', the Greek version of the more familiar phrase 'virgin birth'('parthenos' means virgin, and 'genesis' means birth). The New Testament aside,…
tags: London England, London Zoo, sciblog, zoological gardens, travel Entrance, London Zoo. Image: GrrlScientist, 2 September 2008 [larger view]. After a leisurely morning walk through part of London's Regents Park, Bob O'Hara and I then spent the rest of the day at the London Zoo. The London…
Flora the Komodo dragon has become pregnant without any male help. She is carrying seven baby Komodo dragons. "We were blown away when we realized what she'd done," said Kevin Buley, a reptile expert at Flora's home at the Chester Zoo in this town in northern England. "But we certainly won't be…

I love Komodo dragons, but their recent addition to London zoo was a little anticlimatic. Mainly because the path leading up to the exhibit is all pomp and fanfare with kid-targeted facts about how dangerous and awesome they are, and when you finally get to the enclosure they're usually asleep, often behind a bush.

I also note that aside from the traditional method shown in the video, Komodo dragons can also have virgin births, just like the hammerhead shark of a few weeks back.

Hi,

You say you are an evolutionary biologist. Lots of questions on this.
I've read a few books. Here are the ones as I lay person, i found interesting. Is the science in these books solid?

1) Survival of the Sickest
2) Evolution the remarkable history of a scientific theory

The lobster article was interesting.

By ricky mooston (not verified) on 06 Jun 2007 #permalink

I love Komodo dragons, but their recent addition to London zoo was a little anticlimatic. Mainly because the path leading up to the exhibit is all pomp and fanfare with kid-targeted facts about how dangerous and awesome they are, and when you finally get to the enclosure they're usually asleep, often behind a bush...Posted by: Ed Yong

But they are awesome.
They don't even have to bite you hard, just a scratch from their teeth and then all the virulent bacteria in their saliva (I assume the captive ones still have all these bacteria) will kill you in a day or so.
Hiding behind bushes and catching people unawares seems a smart hunting method, but if you want to race one don't expect to win over short distances.

By Chris' Wills (not verified) on 06 Jun 2007 #permalink