The Komodo dragon that arrived at the Shark Reef aquarium attraction at Mandalay Bay a few weeks ago is seven feet long, weighs 87 pounds, and was acquired from the Miami Metro Zoo to celebrate the Shark Reef’s eighth anniversary. "Regal and unflappable" is how this bad boy is described by the Shark Reef’s curator.
Komodo dragons are found exclusively on Komodo Island and several nearby islands, including Rinca and Flores, all part of the Indonesian archipelago (largest archipelago in the world, a string of more than 17,500 islands stretching 3,200 miles between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, of which upwards of 8,000 are inhabited -- by humans).
Known as "living dinosaurs" and "land crocodiles," the dragons are about as close to a prehistoric creature as can be seen on this post-historic planet. They can grow up to 10 feet long and 300 pounds and are the largest, and among the deadliest, lizards in the world. Their tails are as long as their bodies. They have a long, yellow, highly distinctive and deeply forked tongue, along with 60 shark-like serrated teeth, many of which are an inch long. A bite from one will ruin your day; their saliva contains 50 different strains of bacteria, which cause septicemia, a rapidly progressing and life-threatening infection.
(In 2001, Phil Bronstein, executive editor of the San Francisco Examiner and former husband of Sharon Stone, was attacked and bitten by a 10-foot Komodo dragon in its cage at the Los Angeles Zoo, which almost ripped the top of his foot off; he was treated within the hour and survived, though his recovery was long, slow, and painful.)
The 3,000-5,000 dragons living in the wild in central Indonesia are protected under Indonesian law and by Komodo National Park, which was founded in 1980 to aid protection efforts.
Due to their size and reputation for ferocity, Komodos are extremely popular as zoo attractions, and the Shark Reef’s dragon is one of about 75 on display in zoos in North America. Though they can live to be 50, Komodo dragons in captivity are highly susceptible to infections and parasitic diseases. We wish the new Las Vegas dragon well. He can be viewed daily from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m. (last admission to the attraction is at 10 p.m.) Perhaps in anticipation of his popularity, they just upped the price by a buck, so admission's now $16.95 for adults, $10.95 for children 12 and under, with those aged 4 and under admitted free.
Of course, for those of you who don't know, we have an extremely handsome lizard of our own at HP, namely Mojo the Green Iguana, pictured below in all five feet or so of his glory. Far more exclusive than the Komodo, he's seldom disposed to public viewing, although he'll make an exception if you bring him some raspberries.
Komodo photographs appear courtesy of MGM Mirage.
