# Komodo dragon (*Varanus komodoensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/komodo-dragon  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is a species in the family Varanidae. Recorded adults weigh about 70 kg, reach 1.5 m in length and live up to 30 years. It has been recorded in 5 countries, most often in Indonesia, United States and Germany. Its IUCN Red List status is Endangered.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Length | 1.5 m |
| Lifespan | 30 years |
| Main food | carrion |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Endangered (IUCN) |
| Recorded in | 5 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Squamata
- family: Varanidae
- genus: Varanus
- species: *Varanus komodoensis* Ouwens, 1912

## Where it has been recorded

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF (records in brackets). Recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

Indonesia (249), United States (4), Germany (2), Burundi (1), Singapore (1)

## Common questions

### How big is the Komodo dragon?

An adult Komodo dragon weighs 70 kg and measures 1.5 m long, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Where does the Komodo dragon live?

The Komodo dragon has openly licensed sighting records from 5 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Indonesia, United States, Germany, Burundi and Singapore. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

### Is the Komodo dragon endangered?

The Komodo dragon is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

### What does the Komodo dragon eat?

Its recorded main food is carrion.

### How long does the Komodo dragon live?

The Komodo dragon has a recorded lifespan of 30 years.

## Sources

- [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0 1.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.
- [GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only)](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records.
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/), Per file, live API 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file.
- [English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/), CC BY-SA 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Cite as: Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/komodo-dragon