1 of 3:

The Sea Lion and Penguin habitats will be closed for major revamp from 15 Jul 2024 until 2027.

2 of 3:

The Giant Tortoise feeding sessions will be unavailable from 1 Sep 2024 until further notice.

3 of 3:

The Red River Hogs exhibit will be closed from 30 – 31 Jul 2024 for upgrading works.

  • Mandai Wildlife Reserve
  • Bird Paradise
  • Night Safari
  • River Wonders
  • English
    • English
    • 简体中文
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
  • EN
    • EN
    • 简体中文
    • 日本語
    • 한국어
  • Member's login
  • Search
icon

You're now logged out!

Singapore Zoo Singapore Zoo
Buy Now
  • Things to Do
      What's On
    • Promotions
    • Events
      Explore
    • Keeper Talks
    • Presentations
    • For Kids
    • Feed the Animals
    • Wildlife Experiences
    • Glamping in the Wild
    • View Park Itineraries
    • Plan a Wild Event
    • All Activities
      Dine
    • All Dining Outlets
    • Breakfast in the Wild
      Shop
    • All Shopping Outlets
  • Plan Your Visit
    • Getting Here
    • Getting Around
    • Tips & Services
    • Park Map
    • Park Rules
  • Animals & Zones
  • Education
    • School Admission Rates
    • School Programmes
    • Resources
  • Memberships
    • Friends of Wildlife
    • Friends of Wildlife Plus
    • WildPass
    • Corporate Wildlife Benefits
  • Buy Now
  • Things to Do
      What's On
    • Promotions
    • Events
      Explore
    • Keeper Talks
    • Presentations
    • For Kids
    • Feed the Animals
    • Wildlife Experiences
    • Glamping in the Wild
    • View Park Itineraries
    • Plan a Wild Event
    • All Activities
      Dine
    • All Dining Outlets
    • Breakfast in the Wild
      Shop
    • All Shopping Outlets
  • Plan Your Visit
    • Getting Here
    • Getting Around
    • Tips & Services
    • Park Map
    • Park Rules
  • Animals & Zones
  • Education
    • School Admission Rates
    • School Programmes
    • Resources
  • Memberships
    • Friends of Wildlife
    • Friends of Wildlife Plus
    • WildPass
    • Corporate Wildlife Benefits
  • Mandai Wildlife Reserve
  • Bird Paradise
  • Singapore Zoo
  • River Wonders
  • Night Safari
    • Singapore Zoo
    • Animals & Zones
    • Komodo dragon

    Komodo dragon

    Find me in
    Reptile Kingdom
    • Quick Facts
    • Get to Know
    • Let's Meet
    • Protecting Wildlife
    • You Might Also Like

    Quick facts

    Lifespan

    Lifespan

    Around 30 years in the wild

    fruits

    Diet

    Opportunistic eaters of carrion, deer, pigs, & even the occasional water buffalo or human

    Habitat

    Habitat

    Rugged coastlines, lush tropical forests, savannas & grasslands

    range

    Range

    Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores & Gili Motang

    The Komodo dragons

    Studying venom production

    In addition, Komodos have a gland in their lower jaw containing venom that decreases the blood pressure of their prey and prevents the blood from clotting. Singapore Zoo contributed to research work on venom production in Komodo dragons by providing tissue samples to researchers from the University of Melbourne.
    Komodo dragon lurking among the trees

    Indonesia's national treasure

    Seen as one of Indonesia’s national treasures, Komodo dragons are so highly regarded that they can only be given away by the President. Locally known as ora or buaja daret, meaning ‘land crocodile’, Komodo dragons can weigh more than 100kg, grow longer than 3m and take down prey larger than themselves.
    Komodo dragon's forked tongue

    Forked tongues for smelling

    As Komodos walk, they swing their heads from side-to-side. Constantly, their long, forked tongue flicks out to sample the air, much as snakes do. The tongue then touches the roof of the mouth, where the Jacobson's organ helps analyse and identify airborne molecules. If molecules from a prey animal are more concentrated on the left tongue tip than on the right, the Komodo knows to head left. When the wind is right, they can ‘smell’ carrion from as far away as 4km!
    Scales of a Komodo dragon

    Scaly armour

    Rough stone-coloured scales cover their robust bodies, from which strong limbs and a muscular tail extend. Though males tend to be bigger, it’s hard to tell the sexes apart.

    A deadly bite

    Komodo saliva teems with some 60 strains of bacteria, of which 7 or more are highly septic. Once bitten, an animal usually dies within the day or in less than a week.

    Interestingly, one Komodo’s bite will not kill another Komodo. Scientists are searching for antibodies in their blood that may protect them from the otherwise deadly venom and bacteria.

    Studying venom production

    In addition, Komodos have a gland in their lower jaw containing venom that decreases the blood pressure of their prey and prevents the blood from clotting. Singapore Zoo contributed to research work on venom production in Komodo dragons by providing tissue samples to researchers from the University of Melbourne.
    Komodo dragon lurking among the trees

    Indonesia's national treasure

    Seen as one of Indonesia’s national treasures, Komodo dragons are so highly regarded that they can only be given away by the President. Locally known as ora or buaja daret, meaning ‘land crocodile’, Komodo dragons can weigh more than 100kg, grow longer than 3m and take down prey larger than themselves.

    The family

    Mario

    Mario

    DOB: 15 Nov 2009 Born in Singapore Zoo

    Mario is Bima's firstborn and the first Komodo dragon to be successfully hatched in Asia, outside of Indonesia.

    Together, we protect wildlife

    Hard to breed

    Hard to breed

    As with many reptiles, one of the challenges in breeding Komodo dragons is the difficulty of telling males from females without DNA tests or ultrasound scans. After 34 years of caring for Komodo dragons, we celebrated our first-ever hatching in 2009. and we've been successfully breeding them since.

    Wild Komodos are on the decline due to a dearth of egg-laying females, poaching and human encroachment. We hope to help ensure their future survival through our breeding efforts.

    The IUCN Status

    VU

    Vulnerable

    At high risk of extinction in the wild

    The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

    The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

    The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

    DD

    Data Deficient

    Unknown risk of extinction

    LC

    Least Concern

    At relatively low risk of extinction

    NT

    Near Threatened

    Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

    VU

    Vulnerable

    At high risk of extinction in the wild

    EN

    Endangered

    At very high risk of extinction in the wild

    CR

    Critically Endangered

    At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

    EW

    Extinct in the Wild

    Survives only in captivity

    EX

    Extinct

    No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

    You might also like

    The Wild Scoop
    The Wild Scoop
    Treetops Trail
    Treetops Trail
    Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle
    Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle
    Banner image Banner image mobile

    Every visit to our parks comes with

    Every visit to our parks comes with
    Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

    Daily Opening Hours

    8:30am – 6:00pm (Last entry at 5:00pm)

    Address

    80 Mandai Lake Road
    Singapore 729826

    Stay Connected

    • TikTok-qr-code
    • Xiaohongshu logo default Xiaohongshu logo hover
      Xiaohongshu-qr-code
    • WeChat-qr-code
    • Douyin-qr-code

    About Mandai

    • Mandai Wildlife Group
    • The Mandai Family
    • Mandai Rejuvenation Project
    • Media Centre
    • Our Policies

    Our Parks

    • Bird Paradise
    • Night Safari
    • River Wonders
    • Singapore Zoo

    Get Involved

    • Become a Wildlife Partner
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Careers

    Corporate

    • Plan a Wild Event
    • Corporate Wildlife Benefits
    • Adoption Programme

    Need Help?

    • Announcements
    • FAQs
    • Contact Us

    © Copyright 2024, Singapore Zoological Gardens. All Rights Reserved.

    Mandai Wildlife Reserve, Mandai Bird Paradise, Mandai River Wonders, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Wildlife Reserves Singapore are copyrighted by and/or trade marks of Singapore Zoological Gardens (and/or its affiliate(s)) in Singapore and/or other countries, as the case may be.
    • Park Rules & Conditions
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Personal Data Protection Policy