You are here » home › advanced search › Varanus komodoensis

Varanus komodoensis OUWENS, 1912

IUCN Red List - Varanus komodoensis - Vulnerable, VU
iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Varanus komodoensis?

Add your own observation of
Varanus komodoensis »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaVaranidae, Platynota, Varanoidea, Anguimorpha, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Komodo Dragon
G: Komodowaran 
SynonymVaranus komodoensis OUWENS 1912
Varanus (Varanus) komodoensis — MERTENS 1942
Varanus komodoensis — DE ROOIJ 1915: 150
Varanus komodoensis — DE LISLE 1996: 130
Varanus komodoensis — AST 2001
Varanus (Varanus) komodoensis — KOCH et al. 2013
Varanus (Varanus) komodoensis — BUCKLITSCH et al. 2016: 50 
DistributionKomodo, Padar, Rintja, Flores, Lesser Sunda region of Indonesia

Type locality: Komodo Island, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia.  
ReproductionParthenogenesis has recently been reported for this species (WATTS et al. 2006). 
TypesSyntype: MZB (others probably in RMNH fide ISKANDAR & MUMPUNI 2002) 
Diagnosis 
CommentDistribution: SPAWLS et al. (2001) list this species also for Eastern Africa. 
EtymologyNamed after the type locality. 
References
  • Amer, Sayed A. M. and Yoshinori Kumazawa 2008. Timing of a mtDNA gene rearrangement and intercontinental dispersal of varanid lizards. Genes Genet. Syst. 83: 275–280 - get paper here
  • Arida, E. & Böhme, W. 2010. The Origin of Varanus: When Fossils, Morphology, and Molecules Alone Are Never Enough. Biawak 4 (4): 117-124 - get paper here
  • Ariefiandy A, Purwandana D, Seno A, Ciofi C, Jessop TS 2013. Can Camera Traps Monitor Komodo Dragons a Large Ectothermic Predator? PLoS ONE 8(3): e58800 - get paper here
  • ARIEFIANDY, ACHMAD; DENI PURWANDANA, SANGGAR ABDIL NASU, MAMAN SURAHMAN, CLAUDIO CIOFI & TIM JESSOP 2015. First Record of komodo Dragon Nesting activity and Hatchling Emergence from North Flores, Eastern indonesia. Biawak 9 (1): 33-35 - get paper here
  • Ast, Jennifer C. 2001. Mitochondrial DNA Evidence and Evolution in Varanoidea (Squamata). Cladistics 17 (3): 211-226 [erratum in 18 (1):125] - get paper here
  • Bonetti, Mathilde 2002. 100 Sauri. Mondadori (Milano), 192 pp. - get paper here
  • Branch, W. R. 1982. Hemipeneal Morphology of Platynotan Lizards. Journal of Herpetology 16 (1): 16-38 - get paper here
  • Brenneman, Rick A.; Robert C. Barber; Ryan M. Huebinger; Julie A. Sommer & Edward E. Louis Jr. 2007. Characterization of ten microsatellite marker loci in the Komodo Monitor (Varanus komodoensis). Conservation Genetics 8:1017–1020 - get paper here
  • BUCKLITSCH, YANNICK; WOLFGANG BÖHME, ANDRÉ KOCH 2016. Scale Morphology and Micro-Structure of Monitor Lizards (Squamata: Varanidae: Varanus spp.) and their Allies: Implications for Systematics, Ecology, and Conservation. . Zootaxa 4153 (1): 001–192 - get paper here
  • Bull, J. J.; Tim S. Jessop, Marvin Whiteley 2010. Deathly Drool: Evolutionary and Ecological Basis of Septic Bacteria in Komodo Dragon Mouths. PLoS One 5 (6): e11097 - get paper here
  • Burden, William Douglas 1928. Results of the Douglas Burden Expedition to the Island of Komodo V. Observations on the habits and distribution of Varanus komodensis Ouwens. American Museum Novitates (316): 1-10 - get paper here
  • Ciofi C.; Beaumont M. A.; Swingland I. R.; Bruford M. W. 1999. Genetic divergence and units for conservation in the Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis. Proceedings: Biological Sciences 266 (1435): 2269-2269 - get paper here
  • Ciofi, C. et al. 2011. Development of a multiplex PCR assay for fine-scale population genetic analysis of the Komodo monitor Varanus komodoensis based on 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Molecular Ecology Resources 11: 550–556 - get paper here
  • Ciofi, C., J. Puswati, D. Winana, M.E. de Boer, G. Chelazzi & P. Sastrawan 2007. Preliminary Analysis of Home Range Structure in the Komodo Monitor, Varanus Komodoensis Copeia 2007 (2): 462-470. - get paper here
  • de Rooij, N. de 1915. The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. I. Lacertilia, Chelonia, Emydosauria. Leiden (E. J. Brill), xiv + 384 pp. - get paper here
  • DEEMING, D.C. 2022. Inter‐relationships among body mass, body dimensions, jaw musculature and bite force in reptiles. Journal of Zoology jzo.12981. - get paper here
  • Dunn, Emmett Reid; Burden, W. Douglas 1927. Results of the Douglas Burden Expedition to the Island of Komodo. I, Notes on Varanus komodoensis. American Museum novitates (286) - get paper here
  • Earley, Ryan L.; Omar Attum, Perri Eason 2002. Varanid combat: perspectives from game theory. Amphibia-Reptilia 23 (4): 469-485 - get paper here
  • Fischer, Oliver & Marion Zahner 2021. Die Drachen von Prag – Haltung und Nachzucht von Komodowaranen im Zoo Prag. Elaphe 2021 (1): 28-39 [published online Dec 2020]
  • Fischer, Oliver & Marion Zahner 2021. Komodowarane (Varanus komodoensis) – Status und Erhalt der größten Echse in der Natur und im Zoo. Elaphe 2021 (1): 12-27 [published online Dec 2020]
  • Fischer, Oliver & Marion Zahner 2021. Situation, Bedrohung und Management von Komodowaranen – ein Symposium im Zoo Barcelona. Elaphe 2021 (1): 40-43 [published online Dec 2020]
  • Fischer, Oliver & Marion Zahner 2021. Ein neues Zuhause für Komodowarane über den Dächern von Wien. Elaphe 2021 (1): 44-62 [published online Dec 2020]
  • Fry, Bryan G.; Stephen Wroe, Wouter Teeuwisse, Matthias J. P. van Osch, Karen Moreno, Janette Ingle, Colin McHenry, Toni Ferrara, Phillip Clausen, Holger Scheib, Kelly L. Winter, Laura Greisman, Kim Roelants, Louise van der Weerd, Christofer J. Cleme 2009. A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus (Megalania) priscus. PNAS 106: 8969-8974 - get paper here
  • FRÝDLOVÁ, PETRA and DANIEL FRYNTA 2010. A test of Rensch’s rule in varanid lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100: 293–306 - get paper here
  • Gehring, Philip-Sebastian 2018. Nach Rinca der Warane wegen. Terraria-Elaphe 2018 (6): 23-29 - get paper here
  • Hien, P. 2003. Erster photographischer Nachweis von ungewöhnlich gefärbten Varanus komodoensis (OUWENS 1912) bei Riung, Flores, Indonesien. Sauria (Berlin) 25 (1): 3-9 - get paper here
  • Horn, H.-G. 1985. Beiträge zum Verhalten von Waranen: Die Ritualkämpfe von Varanus komodoensis OUWENS, 1912 und V. semiremex PETERS, 1869 sowie die Imponierphasen der Ritualkämpfe von V. timorensis timorensis (GRAY, 1831) und V. t. similis MERTENS, 1958 (Sauria: Varan Salamandra 21 (2-3): 169-179 - get paper here
  • Iannucci, Alessio; Marie Altmanová, Claudio Ciofi, Malcolm Ferguson-Smith, Massimo Milan, Jorge Claudio Pereira, James Pether, Ivan Rehák, Michail Rovatsos, Roscoe Stanyon, Petr Velenský, Petr Ráb, Lukáš Kratochvíl & Martina Johnson Pokorná 2019. Conserved sex chromosomes and karyotype evolution in monitor lizards (Varanidae). Heredity 123, 215–227 - get paper here
  • Iskandar, Djoko T. and Mumpuni 2002. The herpetological type specimens in the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense Collection. Hamadryad 27 (1):123-135 - get paper here
  • JESSOP, T.S., T. MADSEN, J. SUMMER, H. RUDIHARTO, J.A. PHILLIPS and C. CIOFI 2006. Maximum body size among insular Komodo dragon populations covaries with large prey density. Oikos 112:422-429. - get paper here
  • JESSOP, TIM S.; DENI PURWANDANA, M. JERI IMANSYAH, CLAUDIO CIOFI, Y. JACKSON BENU & ACHMAD ARIEIFANDY. 2022. The influence of tropical seasonality on breeding phenology, growth, survival and movement of a large reptile (Varanus komodoensis). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 136(4): 552–565. - get paper here
  • Jessop, Tim; Sahu, Alo; Opat, Devi. 2008. Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon). Occurrence. Herpetological Review 39 (1):95-96 - get paper here
  • Johnson Pokorná M, Altmanová M, Rovatsos M, Velenský P, Vodička R, Rehák I, Kratochvíl L. 2016. First Description of the Karyotype and Sex Chromosomes in the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Cytogenet Genome Res. 148(4), DOI:10.1159/000447340 - get paper here
  • KENNEDI, UMAR F.; MIRZA D. KUSRINI, ANI MARDIASTUTI, AND ACHMAD ARIEFIANDY 2021. THE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN KOMODO NATIONAL PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. Media Konservasi 26 (3): 217-230; DOI: 10.29244/medkon.26.3.217-230 - get paper here
  • Kern, James A. 1968. Dragon Lizards of Komodo. National Geographic 134(6): 872-880
  • Koch A, Ziegler T, Böhme W, Arida E, Auliya M. 2013. Pressing Problems: Distribution, Threats, and Conservation Status of the Monitor Lizards (Varanidae: Varanus spp.) of Southeast Asia and the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Herp. Cons. Biol. 8 (Monograph 3): 1 − 62. - get paper here
  • Kocourek, Ivan 2018. Die Größten der Großen: zwei Exkursionen zu den Dracheninseln - Nach Komodo – zu den größten Echsen der Welt. Terraria-Elaphe 2018 (6): 16-22 - get paper here
  • Kumazawa, Y.; Endo, H 2004. Mitochondrial genome of the Komodo dragon: efficient sequencing method with reptile-oriented primers and novel gene rearrangements. DNA Research 11 (2): 115-125 - get paper here
  • Kwet, A. 2012. Die hundertjährigen Drachen von Komodo. Terraria-Elaphe 2012 (5): 107-111 - get paper here
  • Lisle, H.F. de 1996. Natural History of Monitor Lizards. Krieger, Malabar (Florida)
  • Lönnberg, Einar 1928. Notes on Varanus komodensis Ouwens and its affinities. Arkiv för Zoologi 19A (27): 1-11
  • McCurry MR, Mahony M, Clausen PD, Quayle MR, Walmsley CW, Jessop TS, et al. 2015. The Relationship between Cranial Structure, Biomechanical Performance and Ecological Diversity in Varanoid Lizards. PLoS One 10 (6): e0130625. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0130625 - get paper here
  • Mertens, R. 1930. Die Amphibien und Reptilien der Inseln Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa und Flores. Senck. Naturf. Gesell., Frankfurt am Main, Abhandl. 42(3): 117-344.
  • Mertens, R. 1942. Die Familie der Warane (Varanidae), 3. Teil: Taxonomie. Abh. Senckenb. naturf. Ges., 466: 235-391
  • Ouwens, P.A. 1912. On a large Varanus species from the island of Komodo. Bull. Jardin Bot. Buitenzorg 6: 1-3 - get paper here
  • PACKARD, GARY C. and THOMAS J. BOARDMAN 2009. Bias in interspecific allometry: examples from morphological scaling in varanid lizards. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 296–305. - get paper here
  • Pavón-Vázquez, Carlos J; Ian G Brennan, J Scott Keogh 2021. A Comprehensive Approach to Detect Hybridization Sheds Light on the Evolution of Earth’s Largest Lizards. Systematic Biology, syaa102 - get paper here
  • Pianka, E. R. and D. R. King, eds. 2004. Varanoid Lizards of the World. Indiana University Press, 599 pp - get paper here
  • Purwandana, Deni; M. Jeri Imansyah, Achmad Ariefiandy, Heru Rudiharto, Claudio Ciofi, Tim S. Jessop 2020. Insights into the Nesting Ecology and Annual Hatchling Production of the Komodo Dragon. Copeia 108 (4): 855-862 - get paper here
  • Recchio, I. and S. Kasielke 2017. Successful blood collection technique for sex determination of incubating Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) eggs at the Los Angeles Zoo. Herpetological Review 48 (2): 366-368 - get paper here
  • Rese, R. 1988. Beitrag zur Lebenserwartung von Grosswaranen in Gefangenschaft. Sauria 10 (1): 25-26 - get paper here
  • Siebler, Uschi 2021. Die Heimat des Komodowarans. Elaphe 2021 (4): 54-59
  • Switak, Karl H. 2006. Adventures in Green Python Country. Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 364 pp. - get paper here
  • Watts PC, Buley KR, Sanderson S, Boardman W, Ciofi C, Gibson R. 2006. Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons. Nature 444(7122):1021-2 - get paper here
  • Werning, Heiko 1997. Die verwöhnten "Drachen" von Komodo. Reptilia (Münster) 2 (5): 26-27 - get paper here
  • Williams, C., Kirby, A., Marghoub, A., Kéver, L., Ostashevskaya‐Gohstand, S., Bertazzo, S., ... & Vickaryous, M. 2021. A review of the osteoderms of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata). Biological Reviews - get paper here
  • ZDUNEK, PRZEMYSŁAW & KRZYSZTOF KOLENDA. 2022. The threat of discarded food and drinks containers to monitor lizards. The Herpetological Bulletin 161: 28–30. - get paper here
  • ZIEGLER, THOMAS; ANNA RAUHAUS & IRI GILL 2016. A Preliminary Review of Monitor Lizards in Zoological Gardens. Biawak 10 (1): 26 - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator