The Bronx Zoo in New York City celebrated Memorial Day by displaying Komodo dragons to delighted onlookers.
The "Amazing Monitors," display marked the first time these creatures have been seen in the Bronx since the 1950's. The program opened on 23 May.
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world today, measuring up to nine feet long. These massive creatures can weigh as much as 350 pounds, and are native to Indonesia.
Three animals are part of the Bronx Zoo exhibit, one female and two males. The two females are sisters, named Ivy and Rose. The lady lizard are each about five feet long and weight around 30 pounds. Their brother, Stubby, fills out the trio. The animals will continue to grow over time, especially the male.
Like snakes, these creatures sense scents in the air by flicking their tongues.
Varanus komodoensis, as the animal is properly known, can consume as much as 80 percent of its body weight in a single meal. This is equivalent to a person weighing 150 pounds eating 120 pounds of food at a sitting. These animals hunt and devour a wide range of animals, including deer, other reptiles and buffalo. They will also scavenge for dead animals when necessary, and will even eat each other.
Komodo dragons are ferocious hunters, using an array of natural weapons to subdue their prey. Their powerful jaws and razor-sharp teeth bites deeply into an animal. Then, the wound is infected with a potent compound of poisons and bacteria.
"As top predators, Komodo dragons will eat almost anything, including pigs, goats, deer, and even water buffalo. Large prey doesn't go to waste since these lizards can eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in one sitting," the Bronx Zoo explained on a Web page describing the species.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released a video, highlighting these remarkable animals at the Bronx Zoo.
"Estimates indicate there are fewer than 2,500 Komodo dragons remaining in the wild, with possibly as few as 350 breeding females," Wildlife Conservation Society researchers wrote in the video description.
The Bronx Zoo is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society, who developed this display to show children these remarkable, rare creates. By educating young people about these unusual animals, managers hope to inspire conservation of all endangered species.
The three animals showing at the new display were born at the zoo, about four years ago. The last member of the species in the Bronx passed away in 1959.
