Question

Which of the following is the largest lizard?
(a) Chamaeleon zeylanicus
(b) Heloderma suspectum
(c) Varanus komodoensis
(d) Varanus monitor

Answer 1

Hint: These are large lizards with long tails, strong and agile necks, and sturdy limbs, their tongues are yellow and forked. The adults can be seen of almost a uniform stone-colored body, they also have distinct and large scales, while juveniles may display a more vibrant color and pattern. They are limited to a few Indonesian islands of the Lesser Sunda group, including Rintja, Padar and Flores, and of course the island of Komodo, the largest at 22 miles (35 kilometers) long.

Complete answer:
The largest and heaviest lizards in the world are the Komodo dragons, or Komodo monitors, and also one of the few with a venomous bite. They sample the air using their long, forked tongues to sense the smell to detect their food although they are stealthy, powerful hunters. Before launching a deadly attack with their large, curved, and serrated teeth, they spend hours waiting for a sizable meal to wander within range. The largest verified specimen of these reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms) but typically a Komodo dragon weighs about 154 pounds (70 kilograms). In size, male lizards tend to grow larger and bulkier than females. They possess strong muscles in jaws and throat that allow them to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. An adult lizard can consume up to 80 percent of its body weight in a single meal as their stomach expands easily, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals.

Additional information:
1) The first zoo outside that successfully hatched the Komodo dragon of Indonesia is the Smithsonian's National Zoo.
2) These komodo lizards live in burrows at night and to escape the heat of the day that is just barely large enough for them.
3) these Komodo dragons have a lifespan of about 30 years in the wild, but scientists are still studying this.
4) As no obvious morphological differences distinguish males from females, determining the sex of a Komodo dragon is challenging for researchers, but one subtle clue is a slight difference can be seen just in front of the cloaca where the arrangement of the scales are slightly different. When groups of the lizards assemble around carrion to feed the opportunities for courtship arises, and also mating occurs between May and August.

So, the correct answer is,’ Varanus komodoensis’.

Note: In 1980 the Komodo National Park was established where strict anti-poaching laws were applied that helped protect the dragons, although illegal activity still takes place. To reduce the population, sometimes villagers poison carrion bait, much like ranchers of the American West poison sheep carcasses to rid the area of coyotes and mountain lions.