KOMODO : The Last Living Dinosaur On Earth

About Komodo

It has been suggested that Komodo Dragons may have been originally discovered by Chinese traders as early as the 2nd century AD. The evidence of this discovery comes from a single note on a map stating “Here be dragons” around Komodo Island.

Komodo Island is located at 8° 33′ 0″ S, 119° 27′ 0″ E and has a surface area of 390 km² and over 2000 inhabitants. This island is part of Indonesia's 17,508 archipelago, and the inhabitants are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from Sulawesi.

This Island is the home of Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis),which is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft) and weighing around 70 kilograms (150 lb).
Behavior

The Komodo Dragon was formally discovered by in 1910 by a Lieutenant van Steyn van Hensbrock, a Dutchman stationed on the island during WWI. Once discovered, the dragons became an instant fascination and took on an almost mythical aura. Ultimately the Komodo Dragon received its taxonomic name, Varanus komodoensis (V. Komodoensis).

Physical Characteristics

The “Dragon” is actually a giant monitor lizard. While not a mythical creature, the Komodo Dragon is an amazing animal in its own right. Males can grow up to 10 feet and weigh up to 200 lbs. while their female counterparts can grow up to eight feet and weigh up to 150 lbs.

They are the world’s largest living lizard. Their ancestry can be traced back to 100 million years when other giants roamed the world. They have been ecologically isolated on a small group of islands and have remained on top of the food chain in their world.

They boast short, muscular legs, clay-colored scales for skins and a long, muscular tail. They use their powerful claws to fight off other dragons during the mating season. They have sixty sharp, serrated teeth that are replaced on a frequent basis.

They are fast, agile, and great swimmers. They have been known to swim from one island to another in their quest for food and mates. As juveniles they are able to climb and live in trees.

Komodos can see up to .3 miles although its hearing is very limited. Its strongest sense is smelling. It is able to smell carrion for up to five miles. It also uses chemical and scent communication with other Komodos by marking its territory.

Geographic Range and Habitat

Komodo Dragons are found in the Lesser Sunda Islands that include Rinca, Komodo, Flores, Gili, Montang, and Padar. Their total range is less than 1,000 square km. Komodo National Park makes up all islands except Flores.

Their natural habitat consists of arid volcanic islands and a barren landscape. They endure a short monsoon season that produces floods. The average temperature on Komodo Island is around 80 degrees and even early mornings are hot and dry. Dragons mostly live in the lower arid forest and savanna ecosystems.

The locals on the island call the dragon Ora and display a great respect for the giant, predatory lizard. A full grown Komodo Dragon has no qualms about attacking and eating people.

Dragons are mostly solitary animals except during breeding season. Males are territorial and will defend their territories during mating season. However, they are not territorial when it comes to food. Their territories tend to overlap when hunting and they amicably share their ranges. The only time they might come together is to share the meal of a large carcass.

They sleep in burrows at night and roam about during the day. They enjoy a simple life of sunning, roaming, eating, napping, and sleeping.

Diet

Komodo Dragons are carnivores and cannibals. They roam about searching for carrion (carcasses) or take to ambushing and hunting prey. Komodos will eat just about any type of meat they can get including wild pigs, deer, water buffalo, snakes, fish, and even their own kind. They are on the top of their food chain and have no natural predators of their own.

Their serrated edge teeth are deadly and their mouths are filled with upward of fifty different bacterial species. Once they’ve bitten their prey the fight is over. Even if the prey isn’t killed during the attack it will ultimately die from infection. The dragon will simply follow its wounded prey until it succumbs to the infection.

Reproduction and Growth

Mating season for Komodo Dragons runs from July to August. The females use the brush nest of another species to lay her eggs. She will normally lay up to 30 eggs in September. She will sit on the nest during the incubation period, but does not display any parenting behavior once the eggs hatch. The eggs hatch the following spring around April. Baby Komodo Dragons are generally around 15 inches long and weigh about 3.5 ounces.

Hatchlings live a precarious life and they tend to have a fairly high mortality rate. They are prey to other animals and even their own kind. Komodo Dragons are notorious for eating their own young. In response, hatchlings scramble to the nearest tree and remain in the trees until they’re large enough to be able to fend for themselves. Juvenile Komodo Dragons will eat insects, small lizards, eggs, birds, and whatever prey it can find in the trees.

Status

Komodo Dragons are considered an endangered species. They’re populations are diminishing due to volcanic activity of their habitat and loss of its base prey. Poaching of prey species and tourism are having an impact on their environment. There are only 3,000 to 5,000 Komodo Dragons living in the wild.

Source: http://www.thenew7wondersoftheworld.com/

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European Crisis May Still Result In Recession, Despite Debt Deal

By DAVID McHUGH and PAUL WISEMAN

FRANKFURT, Germany — Even if Europe dodges a financial meltdown, it may not be able to avoid a recession.

The deal European leaders reached last week to defuse the continent's debt crisis was thrown into turmoil Tuesday by the Greek prime minister's surprise move to call a referendum on Greece's latest rescue package. If voters reject the package, Europe could face a potentially devastating Greek default on its debt.

Stock markets plunged around the world, particularly in Europe.

Even if the debt agreement leads to a long-term solution to the crisis, the pact does nothing about other threats to Europe's economy: deep cuts by over-indebted governments, high unemployment, stingier bank lending and declining exports.

Many economists think Europe is nearing a recession that would harm the United States, China and other countries whose economies depend on the continent. The problems are illustrated by The Associated Press' latest quarterly Global Economy Tracker, which monitors data in 30 countries:

_ Four nations – Italy, Spain, Britain and Norway – reported annualized growth of less 1 percent in the April-June quarter. Economies generally must grow at least 2.5 percent a year just to keep unemployment from rising.

_ Spain had the highest unemployment among countries the AP tracked: 21.2 percent in August, which rose to 22.6 percent in September.

_Greece and Italy were buckling under the weight of government debt. In Greece, those debts equaled 161 percent of national output in the January-March quarter, second to Japan's 244 percent. Italy's government debt equaled 113 percent.

Financial markets have been spooked by fears that Greece and perhaps larger countries, like Italy, would default on their debts.

Banks would be stuck with huge losses on their government bond holdings. A panic like the one that nearly toppled the U.S. financial system in 2008 could follow.

European banks agreed last week to take a 50 percent loss on their Greek bonds. They are also to set aside more money to cushion against future losses. In addition, eurozone leaders hope to strengthen their bailout fund to keep the crisis from spreading to bigger countries.

Financial markets initially roared their approval. But fears that the debt deal will collapse or fall short of solving the crisis have triggered deep selling since late last week.

Analysts noted the paucity of details, wondered how many banks would adopt a voluntary 50 percent write-down on Greek bonds and questioned where the money for the enlarged bailout fund would come from. European leaders last week approached China for financial help.

The Greek referendum heightens the doubts.

"There is a risk that in this case the politicians may cut off funds to Greece and that the country may even leave the eurozone eventually," economist Christoph Weil wrote Tuesday. "Uncertainty looks set to surge again in financial markets."

Even without more chaos, some economists think the continent will slip into a mild recession late this year or early next, though its strongest economy, Germany, may escape a downturn.

Economic growth in the 17 countries that use the euro will slow to 0.3 percent next year from 1.6 percent this year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimated Monday. Some European economies may stop growing altogether, the organization of wealthy nations warned.

One reason for the pessimism: Smaller countries, particularly Greece, Ireland and Portugal, are slashing spending. The bigger ones are raising taxes and also cutting spending.

Italy, Europe's No. 3 economy, is carrying out a $76 billion package of spending cuts and tax increases to try to convince bond investors it won't default on its debt. Britain has imposed an austerity program that's stalled growth.

The debt crisis has shaken the confidence of those whose spending must fuel growth. Business executives and consumers seem less likely to step up purchases for new factories or SUVs.

And the prospect of having to absorb huge losses on their bond holdings has caused banks to retrench. The European Central Bank's October lending survey showed that banks cut net credit to businesses by 16 percent in the July-September quarter. The 124 surveyed banks expected even tighter credit as the year ends.

Automaker Daimler AG said last week that it saw little prospect of significant growth in Western Europe. Its French competitor Peugeot Citroen SA said it would cut 6,000 jobs because of flat demand in Europe.

The weakness has already caused pain across the Atlantic.

Jeff Fettig, CEO of U.S. appliance maker Whirlpool, said Friday that demand is tumbling in parts of Europe. Whirlpool cut its earnings estimates and said it would lay off 5,000 in North America and Europe.

The United States exported $240 billion in goods to the European Union last year – more than twice its export total to China. U.S. companies have also sunk $2.2 trillion into long-term investments in Europe, such as factories and acquired companies. No other region comes close to drawing so much U.S. investment.

Germany has 2,200 American-owned companies. General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have divisions based there. ExxonMobil Corp., ConocoPhillips, GE, IBM, Hewlett-Packard Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Dow Chemical Co., all generate billions in annual European sales.

Exports have accounted for 47 percent of growth since the Great Recession ended in mid-2009. That's more than twice their share after the previous three recessions.

"It is the reason Europe matters," says Steve Blitz, senior economist at ITG Investment Research.

___

Wiseman reported from Washington.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/european-recession-crisis-despite-debt-deal_n_1069144.html

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