The biggest breame. The biggest lizards in the world

Do you believe in the existence of dragons? If not, you will certainly read our article. Perhaps she will flick your confidence. After all, in fact, on the distant island, the Komodo lives so much big lizardthat the locals with confidence are her dragon. And not only local. The name "Dresser Dragon" scientific, and professionals are used.

About how the biggest lizards live in the world, you will learn from our material.

Historical reference

For the first time, these giants were discovered in 1912 on the island of Komodo. It is easy to guess that it is connected with this, as a big lizard is called.

Since then, these creatures are an object scientific research. Scientists found that the history of the evolution of this species is associated with Australia. From the historic ancestor Varanus.separated about 40 million years ago and emigrated to this remote mainland. For a while, the giants lived in Australia and nearby islands. Later, by virtue of all sorts of causes, the Varana were pushed out to the islands of Indonesia, where there were dowels. Scientists suggest that this is due to the change of relief and seismic activity. The island of the Komodo itself, by the way, also has volcanic origins. It is worth noting that the resettlement of bloodthirsty giants on the island saved many representatives of the Australian fauna from complete extermination. A large lizard has mastered new territories and dominates today.

Appearance

What sizes can reach the Dresser Varan? It is difficult to submit, but the Dragon Dragon Dragon Lizard is comparable to a young crocodile.

Scientists conducted measurements in the sample consisting of 12 individuals and described them external features. The studied varana was reached in a length of 2.25-2.6 meters, and their weight was 25-59 kilograms. But these indicators are average. Fixed and described somewhat much more outstanding cases. The length of some lizards reaches 3 and even more than meters, and the largest of the known specimens weighed more than one and a half centners.

The skin of the Varan is dark green, rough, is often covered with small yellowish spindles and leathery-spikes. These animals have a powerful physique, strong short legs with sharp claws. Powerful jaws with large teeth at first glance issued in this beogram of the Lutsk predator. True a long and mobile forked tongue.

Features of the species

Despite the impressive dimensions and apparent badness, the Dragon Lizard is an excellent swimmer, a runner and climbing. The chest of drawers are perfectly on the trees, they can even get to the neighboring island, and no potential victim can be flushed at short distances.

Dresser Varan is not only an excellent tactic, but also a brilliant strategist. If this predator laid an eye on a too big sacrifice, he can use not only gross power. Varan knows how to wait, he is able to drag the dying beast, anticipating the coming pirush.

How do dragons of our days

The big lizard does not like Sorry's society and keep them away. Warana lead a secluded lifestyle, and with themselves contact only in marriage. These contacts are by no means limited to love joy. The males lead the bloody battles among themselves, challenging the rights to females and territories.

These predators lead a daily lifestyle, sleep at night, and hunt at dawn. Like other reptiles, the chest of dominant wrasters, the temperature changes are tolerated badly. And from the scoring sunlight are forced to hide in the shade.

Dragon Birth

Many interesting Facts The lizards are associated with the continuation of the species. After a bloody fight, which is often completed by the death of one of the fighters, the winner gets the right to create a family. Permanent families do not form these animals, in a year the ritual will repeat.

Choosing a winner postpones about two dozen eggs. She will wake up the masonry about eight months, so that small predators or even the closest births did not remove the eggs. But from the very birth of dragon kids maternal caress devoid. Having raised, they turn out to be one with a harsh island reality and at first survive only due to the ability to hide.

Differences between vacancies of different sex and age

The sexual demorphism of these creatures is not too pronounced. Large sizes are inherent in the dragons of both sexes, but males are somewhat larger and massive females.

The cub is born inconspicuous, which helps him hide from predators and hungry relatives. Grown, a large lizard acquires a saturated color. Young has bright stains on a bright green skin, which with age fades.

Hunting

If you are attracted to interesting facts about lizards, this question requires the most close study. There are no natural enemies on the islands, you can safely be called the top link of the food chain.

Warana hunt almost all of their neighbors. They attack even on buffaloes. Archaeologists who have established that several millennia ago of the island inhabited not to exclude that it is some kinds of large lizards who are related to the modern Komot Varan, and caused their complete extermination.

Lizards-giants and Padalu are not bent. They are happy to be trapped by the chosen by the sea by the underwater inhabitants or corpses of land animals. The usual phenomenon is cannibalism.

Modern giants lead a secluded lifestyle, but on the hunting can sprawl to the bloodthirsty flocks. And where their powerful muscles, teeth and claws are powerless, they apply a more sophisticated weapon that deserves special attention.

Poison

The peculiarities of the behavior of these amazing creatures have known for a long time. Scientists have found that the Varana sometimes bite the victim, and then roam it, without showing aggression. The unfortunate animal has no chance, it weakens and slowly dies. Once it was believed that the cause of the rapid spread of a deadly infection is the pathogenic microflora, which settles in the oral cavity of the Varanov during the eating fell.

But recent studies have proven that this creature has poisonous glands. The Varan poison is not so strong as in some snakes, it cannot instantly kill. The victim dies gradually.

By the way, it is worth mentioning about one more record. The Komodsky Varan is not only the largest lizard in the world, but also the largest poisonous creature.

Danger for people

The status of a rare species and mention in the Red Book raises the question of who is more dangerous. Dresser dragons are rare species, Hunting for them is prohibited.

But it is not necessary to count on responding pacifism. There are cases of the attack of Varanov per person. If you do not apply to the hospital in time, where comprehensive treatment will have a patient will neutralize the poison and the antibiotic will be introduced, the risk of fatal outcome. Varana is especially dangerous for children. Often they are attenuating on human corpses, as a result of which the graves of concrete slabs are taken on the island.

In general, the person and the greatest lizard in the world coexist rather peacefully. On the islands of Komodo, Rinch, Gili-Motan and Flores organized unique parks, which comes every year a lot of tourists come to admire the unusual and amazing reptiles.

It turns out that in our time you can meet with a dragon. So residents of the island of the Komodo (in Indonesia) are called the Dresser Varana, which is the largest lizard in the world. This is not only huge sizes of a lizard, but also a cruel predator that suggests the islanders - the dragon can attack not only on their homework, but also for people, and especially those who sit or lie on Earth.

Excursion to history

The greatest lizard in the world was first discovered by scientists in the early 20th century - descriptions about the dragon date back to 1912. It was at this time that the Komodsky Varan was found on the island of Komodo. Actually, at the place of their habitat Varan and got the name of the Komodsky. Scientists put forward a version that many millennia ago, the Komodskie Varanians lived in Australia, and then moved to the islands located nearby. And today, the dragon can be found not only on the island of Komodo, but also on such islands: Flores, Ridge, Padar, Rinch. The number during the opening of this type of lizards was a few, and today it only decreases. Therefore, due to the threat of disappearance, the Chesty Varanas are currently protected and listed in the Red Book.

Description of the Dresser Varana

Adults of vacancies can grow more than 3 meters long, and their weight can be equal to 160 kg. However, such major individuals are found not so often - as a rule, the length of these largest lizards in the world is 2 meters. Thanks to the huge size of the Dresser Varanov, they have practically no enemies, but this applies to adult lizards, and small varana become a treating birds, snakes and even their relatives. Like any lizards, the chest of drawers have a long tail. They have dark skin with small specks, but the young has a brightest coloring. These gigantic lizards have powerful jaws and very sharp teeth, because they are predators.

One is only a huge head and incredible sizes of a toothing mouth, from which a split long language is turned on, able to plunge any person in indescribable horror. Seeing this animal, you can imagine yourself in a completely different era, when there were a huge amount of such creatures. It is amazing that in our time the Dragon Dragon retained his appearance with almost no change.

Distinctive features of the Dresser Varana

The greatest lizard in the world, despite the impressive sizes, can very quickly run, however, for small distances. In addition, she can swim and can even twist on the island, located next door. The Komodsky Varan can make food from the trees perfectly, while rises on the rear paws. The young individuals are very beautifully climbing on the trees and spend on them a large number of time. So young Varana fasten from predators who can attack them.

Dresser's varanas are distinguished by excellent hearing, sharp vision, but the main body of the senses they are smell. Dragons have two poisonous glands and a deadly saliva, thanks to which they kill their victims and extract themselves.

Lifestyle

Dresser Varana at night is hiding in nonorahs that make themselves. On hunt they go out early morning. In the afternoon, they are also hiding from the rays of the scorching sun. They are cold-blooded creatures, so sharp temperature fluctuations are poorly tolerated. As a rule, the daily giant lizards are single. Groups, they live only during the reproduction period.

How hunt and what eat?

Pourgeials of varana and small, and large animals (including home), mostly eat Padal. Also dragons, able to climb well on the trees, stealing eggs birds. Adults in the hungry year even eat their younger conifers. Thanks to the acute sense of smell, these lizards are able to feel the smell of blood at a distance of up to 5 km.

As a rule, warana hunt for large prey from the ambush. Attacking her, they bite the animal and follow her in anticipation of her death. Moreover, the Varan has no more toxic glands, as previously thought, and saliva, containing a large number of pathogens bacteria. It is such bacteria, falling into the blood of the victim, lead to its inevitable death. As a result, the victim of Varan loses consciousness, and then dies.

Waran instead of injection poison with one blow rubs him into the wound of the victim. This method of hunting helped the Varanas exist for many millennia. With the help of a diving language, the Komodsky Varan Waran from afar is able to feel the smell fell and rather in a hurry to the feast, in which other relatives are participating. Moreover, the eating of the poisoned saliva meat does not harm them, since the varanas have excellent immunity. And the substance released during the decomposition of the murdered production only enriches the oral cavity of the giant lizard with new mortar bacteria.

Danger for man

There have been cases when the Komodsky Varan attacked a person. The bite of this animal is very dangerous for a person, since the inflammatory process begins due to the influence of pathogenic bacteria. Especially Varana can attack young children. However, it is believed that this is only when they confuse their usual food. However, after the bite of this huge lizard, it is important to immediately apply for medical help, insofar as fatal outcome It is 99 percent.

Not only living people suffer from the Dresser Varanov, but also the dead - the dragons dig up buried corpses and feed them. Therefore, today the dead are buried under cement cast plates.

Offspring

The males of Varanov every year fight for their female. That Varan, who won, receives a female, which will then postpone 20 eggs. For eight months, she will ensure that no one has eaten the eggs, but the hatched young warana will be deprived of maternal care. They must take care of their own safety, so they are often hiding in trees or in shelters. Moreover, they are often hidden from representatives of their species that do not bear young people as their food.

As of 2014, 5907 species of lizards numbered on the planet. Below is a list of the ten most unusual lizards in the world, which differ from their relatives original external species or behavior.

Fantastic leafy Gecko is also known as Satanic Gecko - type of gecko, inhabiting trunks and branches of trees in wet tropical forests Only in the Madagascar Islands. Adults in length reach 9-14 cm and weigh from 10 to 30 grams. They lead a nightlife, hunting insects. These amazing animals are endowed with the ability to mimicry - merge with the bark of trees, dry leaves, etc. Due to the cutting of forests, it is threatened with disappearance. They can often be found in terrariums around the world.

Moloch, also known as the "thorny devil" - a view of rather unusual lizards, widespread in deserts and semi-deserts in Western and Central Australia. The length of the body of an adult individual does not exceed 20 cm, with a weight from 50 to 100 g. Active during the day. Feels exclusively ants, as a rule, small species. During the day, the "thorny devil" is able to eat several thousand ants, which catches with a sticky language.

Vopastehvyuya Gecko

Vopaste-tailed gecko or flying gecko - genus gecko, numbering 7 species. Food in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Nikobar Islands (India), as well as on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. Love tropical wooded terrain. Most of the lifestyle spend on trees for which they are very quickly moving. Live in dupes. Active at night. Feed insects and small invertebrates. The total length of their body is 20-23 cm. The characteristic features of these gecko is the ability to perform jumps to a distance of up to 60 m from one tree to another.

Filipino sailing lizard

At the seventh place in the list of the most unusual lizards of the world is the Philippine Sailing Lizard, which is found only in the Philippines. These lizards are omnivores, they feed on fruit, leaves, flowers, insects and small mammals. Prefer to settle in wet forests next to water, rivers, rice fields, etc. Adults are capable of growing up to one meter long. Are excellent swimmers.

Ordinary Concomfort is the type of large lizards from the Iguan family. Almost in the Galapagos Archipelago, on the Islands of San Salvador, Santa Cruz, Isabel and Fernanddine, live in dumbfounded by them. The length of their body reaches 125 cm, weight of 13 kg. Food exclusively by plants growing on Earth, sometimes fallen fruits. 80% of their diet make up the sprouts and flowers of the nation (plant from the cactus family).

Sea Iguana is an unusual lizard that lives exclusively in the Galapagos Islands. It is found primarily on rocky shores, salty swamps and mangroves. The sea iguana is not very skillful on land, however, she swims well and dives. I know how to detain the breath for 1 hour, and also has a unique ability among modern lizards - to spend most of the time in the sea. It is powered mainly by algae, sometimes small spine. The total length of their body reaches 140 cm, of which more than half occupies the tail, mass to 12 kg.

The Komodsky Varan is the largest lizard in the world that occurs on dry plains, in savannas and dry tropical forests only at the Indonesian Islands of Komodo, Rinka, Flores and Gili Motan. The length of their body reaches 3-4 m, the weight is about 70-100 kg. They are considered excellent hunters who are capable of developing speeds up to 20 km / h to short distances. Swimmed well and climb on trees. Feels like a variety of animals. Their diet includes crabs, fish, sea turtle, lizards, snakes, birds, crocodile cubs, rodents, deer, boars, dogs, cats, goats, buffaloes, horses and even relatives. Possess a poisonous bite and are considered one of the most comprehensive sardic murderers in the world of animals. In adult domicile breeds in wildlife There are no natural enemies, except for a person and, possibly, graze crocodiles.

Flying Dragon (Draco Volns)

Flying dragon is a kind of unusual lizards, common in Indonesia on Borneo Islands, Sumatra, Java, Timor, as well as in Western Malaysia, Thailand, in the Philippine Islands (Palawan), Singapore and Vietnam. The length of their body reaches about 20 cm. On its sides are wide leathery folds, stretched between six "false" ribs. With their disclosure, peculiar "wings" are formed, with which dragons can plan in the air to a distance of up to 60 meters. Live on the crowns of trees in tropical forests, where they spend a significant part of their lives. Only descend on the ground only in two cases - to lay eggs and if the flight failed. Feed insects, mostly ants and termites.

Small belt - view of lizards found in rocky, desert areas in southern Africa. The length of their body ranges from 15 to 21 cm. On the head and back there are solid bone plates like a shell. Feels in insects and small invertebrates. Lives in groups of up to 60 individuals, hiding in the gorges and cream. If you are dangerous, they are able to twist in the ring, grabbing their tail in the mouth. It is considered one of the very prickly animals in the world.

The most unusual lizard of the world is a sidewayn lizard that lives in dry forests and forest-steppes in the north-west of Australia and the south of New Guinea. The length of their body reaches 80-90 cm, weight 0.5 kg. Food insects and other invertebrates, mainly spiders and small reptiles. In case of danger, the lizard is able to suddenly reveal a bright collar (and this movement is accompanied by the simultaneous disclosure of a wide pasta), which scares many enemies, including snakes and dogs. An interesting feature The planned lizard is its ability to run on the hind legs, holding a torso almost vertically.

At the Indonesian Island, the Komodo lives the largest varan on Earth. This big lizard is local nicknamed "Last Dragon" or "Buya Darat", i.e. "Crocodile crawling on earth." The Komodsky Varana is not so much left in Indonesia, therefore, since 1980, this animal has been submitted to IUCN.

What does the Komodsky Varan look like

The appearance at the gigantic lizard of the planet is very interesting - the head, like a lizard, tail and paws, like an alligator, the muzzle very much resembles a fabulous dragon, except from the huge mouth there is no fire, but something fascinating terrible in this animal is there. The adult breame of the cheaper weighs over one hundred kilograms, and it can reach it three meters. There are cases when the zoologists came across very large and powerful chestrooms, weighing one hundred and sixty kilograms.

The skin of the Varanans is basically gray with blond stains. There are individuals with black skins and yellow small drops. The dresser lizard has strong, "dragon" teeth and all with jarbrins. Only once, looking at this reptile, it is not for a joke to be frightened, as her formidable appearance straight "screaming" about grabbed or kill. Lee joke, at the Dresser Dragon sixty teeth.

It is interesting! If you catch the Komodsky giant, the animal will be very excited. From before, at first glance, cute reptile Varan can turn into an angry monster. It can easily, with help, to knock down the enemy, who grabbed it, and then mercilessly cause injury. Therefore, you should not risk.

If you look at the Dresser Varana and on his small legs, it can be assumed that it slowly moves. However, if the Komodsky Varan feels a danger, or he has seen a decent sacrifice, immediately will try in a few seconds, as he should be accessed to a speed of twenty-five kilometers per hour. One can save the victim, a quick run, as the Varana cannot move quickly for a long time, they exhale greatly.

It is interesting! In the news more than once mentioned the domicile Varana killers, who attacked a person, being very hungry. There was a case when large saws came into the village, and the children who run away from them, catch up and ruined. This story happened when Varan attacked the hunters who shot a deer and carried prey on the shoulders. One of them is brewed to take away the desired prey.

Dresser's varanas are superbly floating. There are eyewitnesses who claim that the lizard was able to twist the raging sea from one huge island for several minutes to another. However, for this, Varana was needed for about twenty minutes and reconcile, since it is known that the Varanians quickly get tired

History of origin

About the Dresser Varanakh spoke at the time when at the beginning of the 20th century, on about. Java (Holland) arrived at the telegram manager, which in the small probe archipelago there are huge, or dragons, whether the lizards, about which scientific researchers have not yet heard. Wang Stein from Flores wrote about this, which next to the island of Flores and in the Domodo there lives an incomprehensible science "Earthy Crocodile".

Local residents told Van Stein that monsters inhabit the whole island, they are very ferocious, and they are afraid of them. In length, such monsters can reach 7 meters, but the chest of chest four-meters are used. Scientists from the Zoological Museum of the island of Java decided to ask Van Stein to collect people from the island and get a lizard that European science has not yet knew.

And the expedition managed to catch the Dresser Varana, but he was only 220 cm height. Therefore, the seekers decided, by all means, to get giant reptiles. And they ultimately managed to bring 4 major dominant crocodiles to the Zoological Museum, each - three meters.

Later, in 1912, all of the published almanac had already known about the existence of a giant reptile, in which it was printed a photo of a huge lizard with the signature "Dresser Varan". After this article in the vicinity of Indonesia, in several islands also began to find a domineering Varanov. However, only after the Sultan archives were studied in detail, it became known that they knew about the gigantic flops back in 1840.

It turned out that in 1914, when it began world WarThe group of scientists had to close the research and the capture of the Dresser Varanov. However, after 12 years later, the Komodski Varanakh was already spoke in America and called them on their native language "Dragon Comodo".

The habitat and the life of the Komodsky Varana

Already over two hundred years, scientists explore the life and habits of the Dragon Dragon, are also studied in detail than and how these giant lizards feed. It turned out that cold-blooded reptiles are not engaged in the afternoon, they are activated from the morning until the sun gets up and only from five in the evening they begin to look for her prey. Warana from the Komodo moisture do not like, they will mostly settle there, where dry plains or dwell in the rainforest.

The giant dominant reptile only is initially clumsy, however, can develop unprecedented speed, up to twenty kilometers. So even alligators do not quickly move. They are also easily food, if it is at the height. They quietly climb the rear legs and, leaning on their strong and powerful tail, get food. They hear the smell of their future victim very far. Also, at a distance of eleven kilometers can teach the smell of blood and to notice the victim, since the rumor, vision, and the smell of them at the height!

Varana love to be poverty with any delicious meat. They will not be refused from one large rodent or several, and even insects and larvae will be eaten. When the storm is thrown ashore all the fish and crabs, they are already backing there - here on the shore, in order to first eat the "Sea Gifts". Varana feeds mainly to Padalu, however, there were cases when the dragons attacked wild rams, water buffaloes, dogs and wild goats.

Do not love the daily dragons to prepare in advance to the hunt, they attack the sacrifice of the sacrifice, grab and quickly fiber her in their refuge.

Reproduction of Varanov

Warana mate predominantly warm in summer, in mid-July. Initially, the female is looking for a place where it would be possible to calmly postpone their eggs. She does not choose some special places, can take advantage of the nests living on the island of wild chicken. According to the scent, as soon as the female of the Dragon Dragon finds the nest, hesitates the eggs so that no one has found them. Especially Dragon Eggs Chusty Eggs wild boarswho are used to breaking the bird nests. Since the beginning of August, one female Varan can lay out more than 25 eggs. The weight of the eggs is two hundred grams with ten or six centimeters long. As soon as the female of Varana lays eggs, he does not depart from them, but awesome her young people will hatch.

You just imagine, all eight months of the female awaits the appearance of a young on the light. Small dragon lizards are born at the end of March, and can in length reach 28 cm. With mom, small lizards do not live. They will settle to live in high trees and eat there than they can. Cubs are afraid of adults of other people's Varanov. Those who survived, and did not get into the chain paws of the hawks and sishaling on the tree of snakes, begin to search on Earth on earth after 2 years, as they grow up and fixed.

The content of Varanov in captivity

Rarely, when gigantic dominant Varanov tame and set in zoos. But, surprisingly, the Varana quickly get used to the person, they can even be tamed. One of the representatives of Varanov lived in the London Zoo, he ate freely from the hands of the look and even walked everywhere behind him.

Nowadays, the Dresser Varana lives in national Parks Rindja Islands and Komodo. They are listed in the Red Book, so it is prohibited to hunt these lizards by law, and according to the decision of the Indonesian Committee, Varanov's salons are made only by special permission.