Varanus sivalensis (SciiFii)

The Indian dragon (Varanus sivalensis), also known as the Indian monitor and the mainland Komodo dragon, is a species of monitor lizard that originally lived in Pakistan and India during the Pliocene through the early Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced throughout the modern tropical and subtropical rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across mainland Asia to help boost biodiversity. The Indian dragon is one of the largest extant species of monitor lizards on the mainland, growing to a maximum length of 3 metres (10 feet), and weighing up to approximately 70 kilograms (150 lbs), about the same size as the closely related Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). As a result of their size, Indian dragons are one of the apex predators of tropical and subtropical regions of mainland Asia, and dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Indian dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals. It has been claimed that they have a venomous bite; there are two glands in the lower jaw which secrete several toxic proteins. The biological significance of these proteins is disputed, but the glands have been shown to secrete an anticoagulant. Indian dragons' group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the non-dinosaurian non-pterosaurian reptile world. The diet of Indian dragons mainly consists of sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Indian dragons also occasionally attack humans. Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September; as many as 30 eggs are deposited at a time in an abandoned megapode and/or ostrich nest or in a self-dug nesting hole. The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful. Young Indian dragons are vulnerable and dwell in trees to avoid predators, such as cannibalistic adults. They take 8 to 9 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years. The conservation status of the Indian dragon is Near Threatened due to some habitat loss and, historically, persecution and poaching, however, thanks to the conservationists, the Indian dragon is a protected species and is making a comeback.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii