KOMODO DRAGON CAST. ...

Description

KOMODO DRAGON CAST
Varanus komodoensis
Indonesia
The Komodo Dragon, or Komodo Monitor, is the largest lizard on Earth, thought to be a relic of a species of megafauna that otherwise died out at the end of the last Ice Age. Now confined to a tiny area of Indonesia, including the island of Komodo, they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. These remarkable creatures were first documented in the West at the start of the twentieth century, and were an exotic lure to W. Douglas Burden, who coined the name Komodo Dragon on his trip to that island (the expedition also inspired the motion picture King Kong). It has limited hearing, eyesight and sense of taste, and its nostrils provided little sense of smell. Instead, the Komodo Dragon uses its remarkably long tongue as the primary sense organ, moving its head and extended tongue from side to side and, in a favorable wind, able to detect its main food source, carrion, from up to 6 miles away. This museum-quality cast was made from a large adult and has been well-painted with correct coloring, and extended forked tongue. At approximately 130 inches long it makes for a striking and dramatic display piece of a most unusual creature.

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