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Essentially, it is the natural factors that limit a species, based on their adaptations and mutations that they have. Whether it allows them to survive with a lack of food, or to have an adaptation to avoid predators more often, this mutation/adaptation will be transferred to the future generation of that organism, which will make the adaptation more prevalent and more likely to be passed on.

The Komodo Dragon, being the apex predator in its habitat, has evolved to be more capable of consuming its prey, by evolving to be larger, stronger, faster, and have a more powerful venom. It has adapted to consume the larger animals of the island, like wild boar and elephants. Stemming from its Monitor Lizard ancestors, it has developed its previous traits into traits more fitting for the isolated island.

Examples of this include its large powerful legs, able to give chase to prey like wild deer, which possess the ability to escape from predators with their long slender legs (structural adaptation). The Komodo Dragon's venom is more potent and more dangerous than those of other Monitor Lizards, for the sole purpose of neutralizing prey quicker and more effectively, to use as little energy as possible (physiological adaptation). Male Komodo Dragons tend to fight one another for top mate choices, a behavioral adaptation to ensure that the larger, more powerful male can reproduce, passing on the more beneficial traits for the species as a whole.

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Varanus komodoensis

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Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Varanidae
Varanus
Varanus komodoensis

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Komodo Island
Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia

Status-Vulnerable

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Length: 10 ft
Weight: 300 lbs
Type of Monitor Lizard

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The Komodo Dragon is an isolated species of sorts, staying within a circle of an area. As such, adaptations are relatively similar compared to those of a different habitat.

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Purpose of Adaptions and Natural Selection

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Purpose of Adaptions and Natural Selection

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Natural selection is when certain challenges are presented to a species and certain organisms of that species, which allow certain adaptations to either die out, or move on in future generations. Eventually, in several generations, these adaptations will become the dominant trait.

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They live in remote temperate islands near Indonesia.

Food sources include carrion, medium-sized to large mammals, and in rare cases, Humans.

Temperatures fluctuate similar to that of the 4 seasons.

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Komodo Dragons have venom that they inject in their live prey to neutralize them, and eventually eat them. This venom has allowed them to have better chances to kill their prey, since they can not chase after prey for a long time, since they can give quick chase or wait to ambush.

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Powerful Legs - great for giving chase to prey
Powerful Jaws - perfect to holding on to prey as venom is adminstered

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They have fights to determine the most powerful male, usual during mating, usually to attract mates.

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Bio Name: Varanus bengalensis
Length: 24-69 in.
Food Source: Arthropods, Small Mammals
Location: South Asia; Southeast Asia
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Varanidae
Varanus
Varanus bengalensis

Bio Name: Varanus griseus
Length: ~3 Feet
Food Source: Small Mammals, Small Vertebrates
Location: Desert Environment
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Squamata
Varanidae
Varanus
Varanus griseus

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Komodo Dragon lives in South Asia
Bengal Monitor lives in South and West Asia
Desert Monitor lives in South Asia and North Africa

All are longer than 3 feet, Desert Monitor's being the smallest.

All have some venom to aid with prey consumption.

Nostrils are similar in shape and position.

Forked Tongues and long tails.

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Komodo Dragons are the largest, and have diets revolving around larger animals. Being on an isolated island, the Komodo Dragon was able to evolve to be larger and faster, to get most prey.

Bengal Monitors are 2nd largest, and have diets revolving around vertebrates and invertebrates. In this less isolated habitat, Bengal Monitors do not have to be as large and as powerful as Komodo Dragons, which allows for more prey options.

Desert Monitors are the smallest, and have diets revolving around small mammals and arthropods. Desert Monitors have to survive in a desert of pure heat, and a large body would be inefficient for them to properly sustain themselves. They have adapted to eat smaller prey in order to survive.

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The Saltwater Crocodile
Bio Name: Crocodylus porosus
Taxonomy:
Animalia
Chordata
Reptilia
Crocodilia
Crocodylidae
Crocodylus
Crocodylus porosus
Found in Southern hemisphere, in Saltwater shores (i.e. Komodo Island, Australia, etc.)
Length: 20ft
Weight: 2.2k lbs - 3.3k lbs

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Comparison: Komodo Dragon (KD) vs. Saltwater Crocodile (SC)

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Comparison: Komodo Dragon (KD) vs. Saltwater Crocodile (SC)

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KD: 10 ft / SC: 20ft

KD: 300lbs / SC: 2200lbs - 3300lbs

KD: Habitat-Komodo Island / SC: Habitat - Australia, Komodo Island, etc.

KD: Longer Tail, Shorter Snout / SC: Shorter Tail (relative to KD), Longer Snout

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While the Saltwater Crocodile is more adapted to travelling in water, it is a reptile like the Komodo Dragon. Despite not being from the same Genus, they are in similar environments on land. Both are reptiles, and have scaly skin. Crocodiles have to adapt to the sun, as they are cold-blooded like the Komodo Dragon. While they do not have venom, the Saltwater Crocodile has to have powerful jaws and sharp teeth to catch and consumer its prey, primarily fish.

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https://www.britannica.com/animal/Komodo-dragon

https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=202168#null

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_monitor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_monitor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltwater_crocodile

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This article was most recently revised and updated by

Komodo dragon, ( Varanus komodoensis), largest extant lizard species. The dragon is a monitor lizard of the family Varanidae. It occurs on Komodo Island and a few neighbouring islands of the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. The popular interest in the lizard's large size and predatory habits has allowed this endangered species to become an ecotourist attraction, which has encouraged its protection.

The lizard grows to 3 metres (10 feet) in total length and attains a weight of about 135 kg (about 300 pounds). Although most young are produced through sexual reproduction, females that are isolated from males sometimes produce offspring through parthenogenesis. It digs a burrow as deep as 9 metres (29.5 feet) and lays eggs that hatch in April or May. The newly hatched young, about 45 cm (18 inches) long, live in trees for several months. Adult Komodo dragons eat smaller members of their own species and sometimes even other adults. They can run swiftly and occasionally attack and kill human beings. Carrion, however, is their main diet item, although they commonly wait along game trails to ambush pigs, deer, and cattle. They seldom need to capture live prey directly, since their venomous bite delivers toxins that inhibit blood clotting. It is thought that their victims go into shock from rapid blood loss. Some herpetologists note that the physical trauma of the bite and the introduction of bacteria from the Komodo dragon's mouth to the wound also play roles in slowing and killing prey. Komodo dragons often find their prey in the process of dying or shortly after death.

Between 1996 and 2021 the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) listed the Komodo dragon as a vulnerable species. Although the lizard's population included fewer than 1,400 adults, ecologists noted that it was stable and at low risk from hunting and other threats. However, in 2021 the IUCN decided to list the Komodo dragon as an endangered species because climate models suggested that between 30 and 70 percent of the species' habitat would be lost by 2040 to increases in sea level.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica John P. Rafferty.

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Komodo dragon | Venom, Size, Bite, & Facts

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Komodo dragon, largest living lizard species in the world. It occurs on Komodo Island and a few neighbouring islands of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands. Popular interest in its large size and predatory habits has allowed this endangered species to become an ecotourist attraction, which has encouraged its protection.