Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
Distribution: Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, Gili Dasami and Flores.
Status: Vulnerable and listed on Appendix I of CITES
Colchester Zoo is one of the few zoos in the UK approved to keep komodo dragons and currently houses a number of them and previously had breeding success within the EEP breeding programme for this species.
Some of our Komodo dragons are still juvenile animals and may be smaller than you might expect. When fully grown, however, a male Komodo dragon can reach 3 metres long. The Komodo dragon is the largest surviving lizard in the world, averaging a length of 2.1m.
The Komodo dragon is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix I of CITES; their number has declined in the wild due to the threat of widespread habitat loss, a loss of prey species and hunting.
Action for the Wild, Colchester Zoo's charity supports Wae Wuul Nature Reserve Rehabilitation Project in Komodo.
Find out more about our Komodo dragons at our daily meet the keeper sessions
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