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What the sources say

Komodo DragonVaranus komodoensis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Komodo Dragon profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 40 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Komodo Dragon. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

The page saysThe largest living lizard
The source saysthe Komodo dragon wins the prize for being the largest living lizard in the worldNote: tagline and vibe.reason
The page saysarmored in bone
The source sayshave a rough, durable skin reinforced with osteoderms (bony plates), protecting them from injuries like scratches and bites
The page saysstalking prey across volcanic islands
The source saysThe islands are volcanic in origin; they are rugged, hilly, and covered with both forest and savanna grassland.Note: vibe.reason; 'stalking' matches the Smithsonian's 'scavenging for carcasses or stalking animals'
The page saysEndangered
The source saystriggering a reclassification of the species from vulnerable to endangered by the International Union for Conservation of NatureNote: stats.conservationStatus. The IUCN Red List page refuses automated reads; ADW's 2006 account still shows the old Vulnerable listing, which this 2021 reclassification supersedes.
The page saysVolcanic savanna grassland and forest on six Indonesian islands
The source saysseparated into eight subpopulations across just six islands: Flores, Gili Motang, Komodo, Nusa Kode, Padar, and Rinca ... The islands are volcanic in origin; they are rugged, hilly, and covered with both forest and savanna grassland.
The page saysThe Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living lizard on Earth
The source saysthe Komodo dragon wins the prize for being the largest living lizard in the world
The page saysAdults grow 6 to 10 feet long and weigh 154 to 300 pounds, and the heaviest one verified weighed 366 pounds
The source saysLength: 6–10 feet (1.8–3 m), with males larger than females; longest verified was 10.3 feet (3.13 m) Weight: 154–300 pounds (70–136 kg), with males heavier than females; heaviest verified was 366 pounds (166 kg)
The page saysIts skin is reinforced with bony plates called osteoderms, often compared to chain mail, which protect it from scratches and bites
The source sayshave a rough, durable skin reinforced with osteoderms (bony plates), protecting them from injuries like scratches and bitesNote: 'often compared to chain mail' is from sdzwa-library-characteristics: 'Covered by osteoderms Often compared to chain mail'
The page saysKomodo dragons have about 60 serrated teeth that look like shark teeth
The source saysInside a Komodo dragon’s mouth are about 60 short, serrated teeth. ... A Komodo dragon’s teeth look like shark teeth

Source
02

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Komodo dragon. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

The page saysan armored apex reptile
The source saysThese reptiles are tertiary predators at the top of their food chain
The page saysmonkeys
The source saysIf they live to be 5 years old, they move onto larger prey, such as rodents, monkeys, goats, wild boars and deer (the most popular meal).
The page saysVenom That Prevents Blood Clotting
The source saysResearchers have also documented a venom gland in the dragon's lower jaw. In addition to the harmful bacteria, the venom prevents the blood from clotting
The page saysthat stop blood from clotting
The source saysthe venom prevents the blood from clotting
The page saysA Komodo dragon can briefly run at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour (13 miles per hour)
The source saysKomodo dragons can briefly run at speeds of up to 13 mph (20 kph).
The page saysbut its hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. It can spend hours in one spot along a game trail, waiting for a deer or other sizable prey to cross its path before it attacks
The source saysits hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. It can spend hours in one spot along a game trail — waiting for a deer or other sizable and nutritious prey to cross its path — before launching an attack

Source
03

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library

Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library.

The page sayschainmail osteoderm armor
The source saysSkin Covered by osteoderms Often compared to chain mailNote: fact-sheet bullets; the page's 'armor' is SDZ's 'skin reinforced with osteoderms (bony plates), protecting them from injuries'

Source
04

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Varanus komodoensis. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysDeer, wild boar, water buffalo, monkeys, goats, carrion, and smaller dragons
The source saysA normal adult Komodo dragon diet consists mainly of carrion, but it is not uncommon for them to attack and eat a variety of large prey, including goats, pigs, deer, wild boar, horses, water buffalo, and smaller Komodo dragonsNote: a list with no ranking, so ADW's 'mainly' is not dropped from any claim

Source
05

Fry et al. 2009

Fry et al. (2009). A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus (Megalania) priscus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysanticoagulant venom
The source saysthe effects of deep wounds inflicted are potentiated through venom with toxic activities including anticoagulation and shock induction
The page saysvenomous shock-inducing glands
The source saystoxic activities including anticoagulation and shock induction
The page saysContrary to the popular idea that Komodo dragons rely on dirty mouth bacteria
The source saysWe reject the popular notion regarding toxic bacteria utilization.
The page saysA 2009 study by Bryan Fry and colleagues rejected that idea
The source saysWe reject the popular notion regarding toxic bacteria utilization.Note: 2009 and first author from the reference metadata (Crossref, via audit:sources); Janeczek's reference list gives 'Fry BG, Wroe S, ... (2009) A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis'
The page saysIt showed that venom makes the dragon's deep bite wounds worse, with toxic effects that include anticoagulation (stopping blood from clotting) and shock
The source sayswe demonstrate that the effects of deep wounds inflicted are potentiated through venom with toxic activities including anticoagulation and shock induction
The page saysTheir lightweight skull is better built to resist hard pulling than to bite hard
The source saysWe find that the lightweight skull is relatively poorly adapted to generate high bite forces but better adapted to resist high pulling loads.

Source
06

Janeczek et al. 2025

Janeczek et al. (2025). Histological and histochemical characterisation of the salivary glands of the palatine fold and the mandibular venom gland of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Veterinary Research Communications.

The page saysthey have many-lobed venom glands in their lower jaw
The source saysMandibular venom gland Venom glands are made up of distinctly marked and very numerous individual lobes
The page saysThe venom carries toxic proteins
The source saysThe venom of the Komodo dragon is a mixture of many bioactive proteins.
The page sayscause a drop in blood pressure, which can send the victim into collapse and shock
The source saysvenom causes a drop in blood pressure in the victim, which can cause collapse and shock
The page saysUntil recently, it was believed that a Komodo dragon's bite killed through infection, and possibly sepsis (blood poisoning), caused by bacteria living in its mouth
The source saysUntil recently, it was believed that the bite of a Komodo dragon caused a fatal infection and possibly sepsis, causing the death of the victim. The bacteria living in the Komodo dragon’s mouth were said to be responsible for this
The page saysThe venom also causes a drop in blood pressure, which can cause collapse
The source saysvenom causes a drop in blood pressure in the victim, which can cause collapse and shock
The page saysits AVIT toxins immobilize the victim with painful cramps
The source saysthe victim is immobilized by hyperalgesic cramping AVIT toxinsNote: 'painful' renders 'hyperalgesic' (pain-heightening)
The page saysvenom that works as an anticoagulant makes the bleeding heavier
The source saysBiting and penetration of venom into tissues and the circulatory system causes heavy bleeding, which is intensified by the anticoagulant effect of venom (PLA2 toxins).

Source
07

D'Amore et al. 2011

D'Amore et al. (2011). The Effects of Biting and Pulling on the Forces Generated during Feeding in the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). PLoS ONE.

The page saysbut a bite that is surprisingly low in force for their size
The source saysIn vivo data confirm previous assertions that V. komodoensis has a jaw adductor generated bite force that is surprisingly low for its size.
The page saysWhen feeding, they jerk the head and neck backward, straighten their forelimbs or back-pedal
The source saysRepetitive cranial-caudal ‘rocking’ movement due to the straightening and bending of the forelimbs (witnessed by Burden [29] ), lateral shaking, sudden caudal ‘jerks’ of the head and neck, and/or back-pedaling pulled the carcass caudal
The page saysa study of captive dragons
The source saysIn this study, bite force and pulling force is collected from captive V.
The page saysfound their pull was much stronger than their bite
The source sayspulling strength, especially in the ventrocaudal direction, was much larger than biting.Note: 'much stronger than' renders 'much larger than' for a force
The page saysThe slashing bite causes major blood loss
The source saysAs an ambush predator, it incorporates a slashing bite that causes major blood loss or evisceration
The page saysthat strong pull may be critical to bringing down prey larger than themselves
The source saysThe generation of proportionately high ventrocaudally oriented forces may be a critical contribution to the ability of V. komodoensis to bring down prey larger than itself.

Source
08

LeBlanc et al. 2024

LeBlanc et al. (2024). Iron-coated Komodo dragon teeth and the complex dental enamel of carnivorous reptiles. Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The page saysiron-coated serrated teeth
The source sayswe reveal that V. komodoensis teeth possess a unique adaptation for maintaining their cutting edges: orange, iron-enriched coatings on their tooth serrations and tips
The page saysIron-reinforced serrated cutting teeth
The source saysThe indentation hardness of these iron-enriched enamel regions ( x ¯ = 3.70 GPa) was slightly (9%) but significantly higher than that of underlying enamelNote: 'reinforced' rests on the measured hardness increase, not on the paper's hedged 'may serve' about wear resistance
The page saysA 2024 study found that Komodo dragon teeth carry a microscopic iron-rich coating along their serrations and tips
The source saysThis coating is found along the serrations and crown tips. ... every technique detected iron in the outer 1–2 µm of the enamelNote: 2024 is the reference's publication year; 'iron-rich' is the paper's 'iron-enriched layer coincides with the thin outer coating'
The page sayswhich may help the cutting edges resist wear between tooth replacements
The source saysiron sequestration may serve to make the outer enamel layers along the cutting edges more wear-resistant compared with other regions of the tooth ... This thin iron coating must therefore be enough to retain a sharp cutting edge on each tooth before it is replaced by a new generation

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.