History of Komodo Island

In 1910 the Dutch named the island on the south side of East Nusa Tenggara Province is the nickname of the island of Komodo. This story begins with Lieutenant Steyn van Hens Broek who tries to prove statements about the presence of Dutch troops large animal resembling a dragon on the island. Steyn then killed a dragon and bring documentation to the Museum and Botanical Garden in Bogor to be investigated

Komodo Island

Komodo Island is an island located in the Nusa Tenggara islands. Komodo Island is known as a habitat for native animals dragons. The island is also the Komodo National Park which is managed by the Central Government. Komodo Island is located east of the island of Sumbawa, separated by Sape Strait.

Administratively, the island including the District of Komodo, West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Komodo Island is the westernmost province of East Nusa Tenggara, bordering the province of West Nusa Tenggara.

On the island of Komodo dragons animals live and breed well. Until August 2009, on the island there are about 1,300 dragons tail. Coupled with other islands, such as Island and Rinca and Gili Mota, their numbers totaled about 2500 tails. There are also approximately 100 individuals dragons in Wae Wuul Nature Reserve on the mainland island of Flores, but not including the Komodo National Park.

Besides Komodo, this island also store a variety of exotic flora Sepang wood by local people used as medicine and dye clothes, this nitak tree or sterculia oblongata in the believe is useful as medicines and seeds are tasty and delicious like peas.

Komodo Island is also accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the Komodo National Park, along with the island of Rinca, Padar and Gili Mota

Conservation

Komodo dragon is a vulnerable species to extinction, and categorized as Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List lists. Approximately 4000-5000 dragons tail is expected to remain alive in the wild. These populations are limited spread in the islands of Rinca (1,300), Gili Mota (100), Gili Dasami (100), Komodo (1,700), and Flores (perhaps 2,000). However, there was concern about population because it is expected of all it's only 350 females stay productive and can breed. Starting from these concerns, in 1980 the Government of Indonesia set a foundation to protect the Komodo dragon populations and their ecosystems in several islands including Komodo, Rinca, and Padar.

Research

The Dutch, realizing the reduced number of animals in the wild, Komodo dragons hunting ban and limit the number of animals taken for scientific research. Komodo Expedition halted during World War II, and it continued until the 1950s and '60an when done studies on feeding behavior, reproduction and dragons body temperature. In those years, an expedition designed to examine the other dragons in the long run. This task fell to the Auffenberg family, who then lived for 11 months on the island of Komodo in 1969. During that time, Walter Auffenberg and his assistant Putra writer, captured and tagged more than 50 Komodo dragons tail. The results of this expedition was very influential to the growing captive dragons. Subsequent studies which later gave a more candid and clear about the nature dragons, that biologists such as Claudio Ciofi can go deeper study.

Discovery

Komodo was first documented by Europeans in 1910. His name was expanded after 1912, when Peter Ouwens, director of the Zoological Museum in Bogor, published a paper about the dragons after receiving photos and reptile skins. Later, the Komodo dragon was the driving factor does expedition to Komodo Island by W. Douglas Burden in 1926. After returning with 12 preserved specimens and 2 live dragons tail, this expedition provided the inspiration for the 1933 film King Kong. W. Douglas Burden was the first to give the name "Komodo dragon" to the animals. Three of the specimens obtained dragons reshaped into animals on display and is still kept in the American Museum of Natural History

Evolution

Evolution began with dragons Varanus genus, which appeared in Asia around 40 million years ago and then migrated to Australia. About 15 million years ago, meeting the continental shelf of Australia and Southeast Asia allowed the lizard to move into the area now known as Indonesia. Komodo is believed to have evolved from the ancestors of Australian in about 4 million years ago, and expanded the area spreading to the east as far as Timor. Changes in sea level since the ice age has made the dragons agihan limited their range is now in the hope it can be used for human treatment.

bacteria

In late 2005, researchers from the University of Melbourne, Australia, concluded that Perentie monitor lizards (Varanus giganteus) and other lizard-lizard, and the lizards from the tribe Agamidae, is likely to have a sort of can. So far it is known that injuries from animal bites is very prone to infection because of the bacteria that live in the mouth of these lizards, but the researchers suggest that the direct effect that appears at the bite wounds were caused by the entry can be powered medium.

These researchers have observed the wounds in the hands of humans from lizard bites Varanus varius, V. scalaris and dragons, and all showed a similar reaction: rapid swelling within minutes, localized disruption of blood clotting, pain gripping up to the elbow, with some symptoms lasting up to several hours later.

A gland that contains a very toxic could have successfully taken out of the mouth of a Komodo dragon at the Singapore Zoo, and convinced the researchers will be content that belongs to dragons.

In addition it contains can, dragons saliva also has a variety of deadly bacteria in it; over 28 Gram-negative bacteria Gram-positive and 29 have been isolated from saliva. These bacteria cause septicemia in their victims. If the bite is not instantly kill dragons prey and prey can escape, generally unlucky prey will die within a week of infection.

The most deadly bacteria in the saliva of the Komodo dragon is the bacterium Pasteurella multocida seems highly lethal; known through experiments with laboratory mice. Because the Komodo dragon appears immune to its own microbes, much research was done to find antibacterial molecules in the hope it can be used for human treatment.

Respiratory Complicated

Lizards are often unable to breathe efficiently because they run for a rib muscle placement. They can do so because they have a "gular pouch" under their chin that fill with air that can be pumped into the lungs.

The amount is Critical

  Because dragons are reptiles, they do not eat as often predatory mammals. So an ecosystem that will only support a few dozen tigers carnivores, for example, can support a cold-blooded reptiles Komodo 4.000 to 5.000, which only 350 were females breed. The numbers are not much changed from earlier times, therefore they are protected animals

Ecology, Behavior and Way Of Life

Komodo naturally found only in Indonesia, on the island of Komodo, Flores and Rinca and several other islands in Nusa Tenggara. Living in dry open grassland, savanna, and tropical forest at low altitudes, this lizard likes hot and dry place. They are active during the day, although sometimes it is also active at night. Komodo dragons are solitary animals, gathered together only at meals and developing biak. For shelter, dragons dig holes 1-3 meters wide with the front legs and paws are huge strong. Because body and sleeping habits in the hole, dragons can keep the heat body during the night and reduce the time sunbathing on the next morning.

The characteristics of Komodo

1.   Komodo has a tail of the same length with the body, and about   60 pieces of sharp serrated teeth along approximately 2.5 cm,   which is often replaced.

  2.   Komodo dragon saliva is often mixed with a little blood   because the teeth are almost completely covered by gingival   tissue and the tissue is torn during the meal. This condition   creates an ideal environment for the growth of deadly bacteria   that live in their mouths.

  3.   Komodo has a long tongue, yellow and forked.

  4.   Komodo dragons males larger than females, with the skin color   from dark gray to brick red, while more female dragons are   green olives, and had a small piece of yellow in the throat.   Young Komodo dragons more colorful, with yellow, green and   white on a black background.

Habitat of Komodo Dragons

The Habitat of these Giant Lizards is very dry with just little water and very hot.

  They live mostly in the savana and in the forest near the shore of the islands. They can swim from an island to another one inside the national park, so it is difficult to know exactly how many they are left.