page_title: Komodo dragon
section_title: Senses
hierarchical_section_title: Komodo dragon / Description / Senses
context_page_description: The Komodo dragon is a species of lizard that lives in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rincah, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami. It is the largest living lizard. They grow to an average length of 2–3 meters and weigh around 70 kg. Komodo dragon bites can be very dangerous, and they sometimes attack people.
  Western scientists first saw Komodo dragons in 1910. They are very popular animals in zoos because they are very big and look scary. The lizards are in some danger. There are very few Komodo dragons still alive on their home islands. Indonesian law does not allow hunting these lizards. Komodo National Park was made to help protect Komodo dragons.
  The Komodo dragon has other names. It can also be called the Komodo monitor or the Komodo Island monitor by some scientists, but this is not very common. The people who live in Komodo Island call them ora, buaja durat or biawak raksasa.
context_section_description: The Komodo dragon's earholes are easy to see, but Komodo dragons are not very good at hearing. It is able to see as far away as 300 meters (985 feet), but it is thought to have poor night vision. The Komodo dragon is able to see in color, but has trouble seeing objects that do not move.
  The Komodo dragon uses its tongue to taste and smell like many other reptiles. They have a special part of the body called the Jacobson's organ for smelling. With the help of a good wind, they can smell dead animals from 4–9.5 kilometres (2.5–6 mi) away. The Komodo dragon's nostrils are not very useful for smelling, because it does not have a diaphragm. It only has a few taste buds in the back of its throat. Its scales have special connections to nerves that give the lizard a sense of touch. The scales around its ears, lips, chin, and bottoms of the feet may have three or more of these connections.
caption: A Komodo dragon resting in the sun at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The ear holes are large.
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