IUCN Lists Komodo Dragon In Endangered Category – Free PDF Download

Published On October 16th, 2021 Leave a comment

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The Komodo dragon, the world’s largest living lizard, is now endangered after 25 years of existing on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) database as ‘vulnerable’.

Currently, there are less than 1,400 adult Komodos left, living on a pocket of Indonesian islands in fragmented locales that make up a total area of about 809 square kilometres.
While most Komodo dragons don’t make it to adulthood, those that do can live up to thirty years. Males are typically around 2 meters long and weigh about 90 kilograms, but have been known to grow larger.
The IUCN re-assessment is based on an evaluation of several factors. Rising sea levels, for example, could reduce the dragons’ limited range by up to 71 per cent in the next 50 years,
Dozens of species are continuing to move higher in elevation to track their preferred thermal environment, and with decreasing space, there is now competition between them
Bramble Cay melomys, found only on the eponymous island off the coast off Australia, declared extinct in 2016.
Last seen in 2009, the rodent is believed to have been killed off by repeated flooding of the island by the sea, destroying its habitat and perhaps drowning individuals..

It is often described as the first mammal to go extinct due to human-induced climate change
As well studied as the Komodo Dragon is, there are lots of organisms that inhabit Komodo, from insects down to microbes, that we know little to nothing about.
The dragon’s movement is related to the loss of habitat, and, sadly, to the loss of our ability to understand everything else that lives in that habitat
Komodo dragons are native to Indonesia and found in the country’s Komodo National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site that includes the namesake island and a number of other islands.

A more poorly understood population of the species also lives on Flores, a larger, neighboring island.
While experts consider the national park’s Komodo dragon population to be stable and well-protected, the species still faces mounting obstacles to its long-term survival.
Komodo dragons are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes because they inhabit a limited belt of land between the islands’ coasts and steep forested hills.

THREATS

The primary threats to the dragon’s survival include illegal hunting and loss of habitat to human settlement.
Komodo dragons were sought as trophies by big-game hunters.
They also are killed for skins and feet to make novelties.

Scientific Name: Varanus komodoensis.

Komodo dragons are the largest and heaviest lizardson Earth. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails.

They have long claws and a large, muscular tail.
Komodos have good vision; they can see objects as far away as 985 feet (300 m).
Komodo dragons can eat almost anything,including invertebrates, birds, and mammals like deer, pigs, and even large water buffalo.
They seldom need to capture live prey directly.
Since their venomous bite delivers toxins that inhibit blood clotting.

Q.Consider the following statements about komodo dragon: