Komodo Dragons

[Robert]

Well coyotes, rats, dermestid beetles, roaches, crabs, domestic dogs and a whole host of other animals will dig up a free meal... is that your criterion? HAHA.

Luckily Erin knows to have me cremated!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Get in line pal! Me first! Then Tom! I knew a couple of the Keepers at Metrozoo (Miami) and they got baby Dragons like clockwork! Hmmmmm! Maybe I shoulda stayed in FL. In a nutshell...good luck!

WOW, Place me on the list also...

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Are they legal in some/all states? Do they require any kind of permit?

I was under the impression that getting a permit was impossible!

 

[ascott]

Rob and Tom.....you two are funny

By the way, I was in a swimming pool alone one night with the pool light on and all...a shadow casted a weird way and I lost my sense of reality for a moment (essentially lost my damn mind) and was convinced there was a shark in the pool....yeah well, I never moved that fast ever in my life since...I am sure it was hilarious had someone seen me....LOL

Komodos are awesome in my book, however, I don't know that I would be comfortable living with one....they are absolutely beautiful, bacteria slobber and all....

 

[Tom]

Get in line pal! Me first! Then Tom! I knew a couple of the Keepers at Metrozoo (Miami) and they got baby Dragons like clockwork! Hmmmmm! Maybe I shoulda stayed in FL. In a nutshell...good luck!

WOW, Place me on the list also...

---

Are they legal in some/all states? Do they require any kind of permit?

I was under the impression that getting a permit was impossible!

---

Getting an import permit from the Dept of the Interior IS darn near impossible. If you get one from within your own state all you need is a signed affidavit stating they are captive bred. CITES stuff doesn't come into play until you cross state lines.

... I had no idea so many people wanted one. I think Dean is right. With the numbers that are being produced now and the SSP people deciding that we have "enough" out of certain breeders, they simply will start ending up in private hands.

 

[Faery]

I love finding a place where my love of Komodos is shared instead of ridiculed! Seeing my first one in person (at a huge rep park in the Dakotas I think...) actually brought tears to my eyes. If I thought I could keep one well I'd also love to have one someday.

 

[Weda737]

Don't get me wrong, I don't really have an issue with Komodos, in fact I think those big ol' eyes are just adorable. I just can't see the the desire to want to own one. Seems so dangerous, what could you do but observe it from a distance? I'm sure people wonder why I would want some of the things I do though, to each their own I guess.

 

[stephiiberrybean]

I'm with you on this one Robert.
They are scary. Ok, so if i got the opportunity I would most probably touch one and go near one. I'd poo myself the whole time though!
Especially after reading the whole they eat humans thing.

You guys are barking mad for wanting to own one. Seriously, completely insane...

I'll take the great white shark any day.
Although when it comes to fears my boyfriend things i'm downright weird.
I've always wanted to go into one of those cages to be near a great white, i'm fascinated by Sharks.
Yet i'm terrified of whales, especially killer whales. They scare the hell out of me.
(Mind you if i even see cotton wool I'm no longer in the room! Thinking about it has made me go all funny!)

BTW, Rob, that's really weird. Of all the scary sea creatures, horribly aggressive venomous snakes, huge fanged big cats, deadly horned hoofstock animals, and swarming killer insects in the world, you picked a monitor lizard to be MOST afraid of!?! What?

I'm not claiming it is a rational fear. I can't explain it. I would rather be in a swimming pool with a great white than in a cage with a Komodo. Don't get me wrong, I'm scared of snakes and many other animals too. I'm a big wuss with lots of these animals. But at the end of the day, in the old game of "What animal would you least like to be trapped in a cage with?", my answer is always Komodo Dragon. (or Oprah).

I can appreciate the majesty and prowess of the animal. They are amazing creatures, but they just scare the living crap out of me!!

---

"Occasionally they consume humans and human corpses, digging up bodies from shallow graves. This habit of raiding graves caused the villagers of Komodo to move their graves from sandy to clay ground and pile rocks on top of them to deter the lizards.".

I mean come on, really???

---

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

You'd have to be mad to get a Komodo dragon. These 10 ft-long, 150-lb predators literally eat water buffalo for breakfast, and in the not-so-distant past, they used to prey on the dwarf elephants that lived on their island as well. Keeping these endangered lizards is almost like keeping a big cat for a pet: not just cruel, but dangerous, too.

Not only are these creatures big and strong, but they have a venomous bite, too. And I'm not talking about the hypothesis that they have lethal bacteria in their saliva. That's old news. Yes, they may have them, but Komodo dragons kill their prey with necrotizing venom. It doesn't matter whether this monitor lizard is WC or CB, it will still produce venom, and it will still be dangerous.

Don't buy a Komodo dragon. Leave them to their island, or to conservationist zoos that keep and breed them responsibly. These animals are wild predators, not pets.

 

[fbsmith3]

Has anyone thought of a Water Monitor. My wife is from Thailand and she was conviced that Thailand has Komodo Dragons. After a long discussion, argument, I discovered that Thailand has "Varanus salvator" which looks just like a Komodo.

Either way, I'd rather have a Tortoise.

 

[jbean7916]

I have a nile monitor. He has a much more pointed nose than a komodo but after dealing with him, I wouldn't ever think about actually owning komodo!! He's only about 5 ft long but holy cow is he powerful!!! And moody as well!! He can be a sweetheart, don't get me wrong, but when he is in a bad mood he is impossible to control.

He refused to let anyone get him off my back after he climbed onto my shoulders... I had to lay like this until he decided to move.

 

[Claireabbo]

hmmm... you can probably get them from a reptile breeder. maybe find a site good luck!

 

[Turtle Guru]

Do not get them because 9 times out of 10 you will get rid of it and also they may hurt you too. Just take that in consideration. But good luck

 

[Tom]

You'd have to be mad to get a Komodo dragon. These 10 ft-long, 150-lb predators literally eat water buffalo for breakfast, and in the not-so-distant past, they used to prey on the dwarf elephants that lived on their island as well. Keeping these endangered lizards is almost like keeping a big cat for a pet: not just cruel, but dangerous, too.

Not only are these creatures big and strong, but they have a venomous bite, too. And I'm not talking about the hypothesis that they have lethal bacteria in their saliva. That's old news. Yes, they may have them, but Komodo dragons kill their prey with necrotizing venom. It doesn't matter whether this monitor lizard is WC or CB, it will still produce venom, and it will still be dangerous.

Don't buy a Komodo dragon. Leave them to their island, or to conservationist zoos that keep and breed them responsibly. These animals are wild predators, not pets.

Have much experience with them? How about monitors in general? No. Not really, huh?

I do. So does Dean. Komodos are not venomous, despite what one Australian scientist looking to make a name for himself says. They are also not dangerous predators in the way big cats are. Sure they eat water buffalos... after they are dead. And it takes a whole lot of them to finish one. They are no different than any other monitor lizard, which I have raised and owned lots of. And they are scavengers more than they are predators. Sure they are opportunists, but as adults, most of their food is already dead.

jbean, I had one nile monitor over 20 years ago. No thanks. I can't believe yours is as tame as it is.

fbsmith3, I've had several water monitors over the years and shared several with friends too. Most of the time they are docile, fascinating pets. I used to go swimming with one of mine. He'd just run around the back yard loose.

For those who have not had them, monitors can be awesome, intriguing, exciting pets. They need to be housed and cared for correctly, but it is in no way cruel to keep one as a pet.

 

[Claireabbo]

i think having a monitor would be so cool!

---

Rob and Tom.....you two are funny

By the way, I was in a swimming pool alone one night with the pool light on and all...a shadow casted a weird way and I lost my sense of reality for a moment (essentially lost my damn mind) and was convinced there was a shark in the pool....yeah well, I never moved that fast ever in my life since...I am sure it was hilarious had someone seen me....LOL

Komodos are awesome in my book, however, I don't know that I would be comfortable living with one....they are absolutely beautiful, bacteria slobber and all....

you know most people would be terrified to swim with sharks. but that has been one of my lifes dreams! and well if i was out diving with sharks...yes i would want someone to go first but i would be right behind them! i think all animals are amazing. big and small...scary and cute... all of them!

 

[Tom]

I've done several shark dives. They really are just big fish. In Moorea we saw an 11-12' lemon shark briefly. As soon as it saw us it darted away. There were hundreds of sharks on that dive. Four different species. They do that dive several times a day an no one has ever been bothered by any shark.

... wait. This is off topic. We'll need to start a new "shark" thread for this discussion...

 

[Claireabbo]

I've done several shark dives. They really are just big fish. In Moorea we saw an 11-12' lemon shark briefly. As soon as it saw us it darted away. There were hundreds of sharks on that dive. Four different species. They do that dive several times a day an no one has ever been bothered by any shark.

... wait. This is off topic. We'll need to start a new "shark" thread for this discussion...

i believe we should! haha

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Have much experience with them? How about monitors in general? No. Not really, huh?

I do. So does Dean. Komodos are not venomous, despite what one Australian scientist looking to make a name for himself says. They are also not dangerous predators in the way big cats are. Sure they eat water buffalos... after they are dead. And it takes a whole lot of them to finish one. They are no different than any other monitor lizard, which I have raised and owned lots of. And they are scavengers more than they are predators. Sure they are opportunists, but as adults, most of their food is already dead.

Actually, Tom, not only is it "not really, huh" but I'm proud to say, it's not at all. I've never kept a varanid, and I never will. Good luck to you and your monitor lizards.

 

[jbean7916]

jbean, I had one nile monitor over 20 years ago. No thanks. I can't believe yours is as tame as it is.

Me too Tom, when we first bought him I was surprised at his calm nature. He was used in shows and I couldn't even believe I could reach right in an pet him!

Now things have changed a little. He's still ok MOST of the time, but warming him up to correct temps and feeding him whole foods has gotten him to a more healthy monitor attitude.

 

[Tom]

I've had that problem too. I mean with changing temperaments.

People sometimes give me their poorly cared for, half dead animals. I set them up right, feed them well, get them some UV and the next thing you know they are vicious. Green iguanas, monitors, tegus, even an occasional beardie gets nippy and doesn't want to be handled. Amazing the difference in temperament between a lizard that is "surviving" in captivity and a lizard that is "thriving" in captivity.

I don't mean to say that your lizard was poorly cared for before you got it. Just relating my experiences on a similar note.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

I love finding a place where my love of Komodos is shared instead of ridiculed! Seeing my first one in person (at a huge rep park in the Dakotas I think...) actually brought tears to my eyes. If I thought I could keep one well I'd also love to have one someday.

My 1st "up close and personal" experience w/ a Komodo was when Ft. Worth's Forest Park Zoo got a couple small ones and were loaned a huge one for short while. One of the guys at the Herpetarium that I'm friends with called me up and told me to drop whatever I was doing the next morning and come check out the arrival of the big one...it would be delivered before the zoo officially opened, as this was not going to be a "public debut"...I wondered at that terminology, but told him to count me in.

Next morning, we're all watching as the travel crate that it was shipped in was set on the ground and a goat was put in the enclosure...as soon as the crate's "door" was raised, the 8' Komodo came out like a jack-in-the-box, grabbed the goat and it was all over but the munching! I then knew why the general public wasn't invited!

Having helped a friend out by baby-sitting his 7-1/2' Malaysian Water Monitor for a week once, I erroneously thought a Komodo was equally docile and laid-back in their personality...apparently not!