Komodo Dragons Giant Reptiles

Komodo Dragons. Giant Reptiles. Written by Luanne Silver. Focus Question. What features allow the Komodo Dragon to survive in the wild?

科莫多龙 巨型爬行动物 作者：吕安娜·西尔弗 思考问题 哪些特征能让科莫多龙在野外生存？

Real Dragons If you've ever read stories about dragons, you know that they're huge, fierce, often fire -breathing reptiles with powerful bodies and sharp claws. If you think they're just make -believe creatures in storybooks, think again. The Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard, matches just about every detail of a dragon's description. Komodo dragons can't exactly breathe fire, but their bite is almost as deadly.

真正的龙 如果你读过龙的故事，就知道它们是巨型凶猛的爬行动物，身躯强壮、爪子锋利，还常常会喷火。 如果你觉得它们只是故事书里虚构的生物，那你可错了。 世界上最大的蜥蜴科莫多龙，几乎完全符合人们对龙的所有描述。 科莫多龙虽然不会喷火，但它们的咬击几乎一样致命。

Built to Fight Komodo dragons are the heavyweight wrestlers of the lizard world, and they're built for a fight. Grabbing their opponents with their forelegs, they attempt to throw them to the ground. They use their muscular tails for balance when standing upright, especially when two males fight. Dragons are covered with bony plates for protection from the bites and scratches of their opponents. Sharp, jagged teeth and huge claws come in handy in battle, as well as for killing prey.

天生好斗 科莫多龙是蜥蜴界的重量级摔跤手，天生就为战斗而生。 它们用前爪抓住对手，尝试把对手摔倒在地。 站立时它们会用强壮的尾巴保持平衡，尤其是两只雄龙打斗的时候。 科莫多龙全身覆盖骨板，能保护自己不被对手咬伤抓伤。 锋利锯齿状的牙齿和巨大的爪子，不管是打斗还是捕杀猎物都很好用。

Island Home Komodo dragons live on five small islands in the Asian country of Indonesia. These hilly islands have a mix of forests and grasslands. The weather is hot with rainy and dry seasons. The dragons on two of the islands are much smaller than those on the other three islands. Their smaller size is an adaptation to less food and a harsher climate.

岛屿家园 科莫多龙生活在亚洲国家印度尼西亚的五座小岛上。 这些多山的岛屿上，既有森林也有草原。 气候炎热，分雨季和旱季。 其中两座岛上的科莫多龙，比另外三座岛的要小得多。 更小的体型是它们适应少食物、恶劣气候演化出的特征。

Dragons are strong swimmers. They can swim from one island to another, but most stay on their home island. They often walk along beaches looking for dead fish that have washed ashore. During the day, these giant lizards often deal with the heat by staying cool in burrows. At night, the burrows help them stay warm. They may dig their own burrow or use one made by another dragon. Komodo dragons usually spend their time alone, hunting, eating, and napping.

科莫多龙都是游泳健将。 它们能从一座岛游到另一座岛，但大多数都一直待在自己的故乡。 它们常常沿着海滩走，寻找被冲上岸的死鱼。 白天天气热的时候，这些巨型蜥蜴会待在洞穴里乘凉。 到了晚上，洞穴又能帮它们保暖。 它们要么自己挖洞，要么住别的科莫多龙挖好的洞。 科莫多龙通常独来独往，大多时间都在捕猎、进食和打盹。

Dragon food. Komodo dragons aren't picky about what they eat, as long as it's meat. They're hunters, and they also eat animals they find that have already died. Their main foods are deer, wild pigs, and water buffalo. They also eat rats, snakes, bird eggs, and dead fish. In addition, adults eat young dragons. Komodo dragons can run to chase down prey. However, they're more likely to ambush and then overpower their prey. They often hide along trails, waiting for prey animals to pass by and then attack.

龙的食物 科莫多龙不挑食，只要是肉都吃。 它们会主动捕猎，也会吃找到的动物尸体。 它们的主食是鹿、野猪和水牛。 它们也吃老鼠、蛇、鸟蛋和死鱼。 除此之外，成年科莫多龙还会吃幼龙。 科莫多龙能奔跑追上猎物。 不过，它们更擅长埋伏，然后制服猎物。 它们常常躲在小路旁，等猎物经过就发动攻击。