Real dragons went out of style when people stopped believing in them, after the Middla Ages. Only one variety survived, living on lonely little islands in the Pacific, and he was not discovered by the outside world until about 50 years ago. True, he is not a fierce flame thrower like the dragons of legend, in fact, this real, live Komodo dragon is a shy fellow.
Oh yes, he exists, but to find him in his native home we have to sail the Pacific seas between Borneo and Australia. He and his shy cousins can be found, if we are lucky, on the small lonely islands of Kintja, Padar, Flores and, of course, Komodo.
The Komodo dragon may have survived in these outposts since the days when his distant cousins the giant dinosaurs ruled the world. He too is a lizard, a long snaky fellow with snaky forked tongue. His island homes have little to offer the modern world and were not on the trading routes of even the old sailing ships.
From time to time, however wandering traders heard rumors of the big lizard. The natives who shared the islands with the so called dragon described him, but their reports were hard to believe. However, in 1912, a Dutchman named Ouwens decided to test the rumors and with the help of the natives he managed to capture five of the big 'Lizards and bring them back to civilization alive. The world of science was agog, and no wonder. The biggest lizard known had remained undiscovered until the 20th century.
The long, agile body of the Komodo dragon measures ten feet from the tip of the tapering snout to the tip of the tapering tail.
His scaly skin is brownish grey, which helps him to blend in with the bare rocks and faded grasses which cover his native isles. His forked tongue is a sense organ for tasting the various flavor; in –the air and perhaps testing the temperature.
The Komodo dragon is classed as a monitor lizard and he is the largest of his kin to survive the tragic fate of the dinosaurs., In captivity, he is a docile fellow, satisfied with a diet of meat and eggs and content to bask in the warm, sunny air. A few babies have been born in captivity. The little dragons are more gaily colored than their parents. Their snaky tails are ringed with yellow garters and their scaly coats are decked with yellow spots and circles.
In 1926, a team of scientists went to film the big lizard in his home territory. They had to keep well out of sight for the so called dragon turned out to be a very timid character who scuttled into hiding at the first sight of a human being.