Posted on 02/22/2009 1:15:59 PM PST by nickcarraway
Weighing in at a modest 83 pounds but topping the charts at about seven feet long, this island girl is probably not one you're likely to see in a bikini anytime soon... especially with her scaly skin, sharp claws, and forked tongue.
Hannibal, a female Komodo Dragon, makes her debut at the Palm Beach Zoo on Friday, but before the bright lights and camera bulbs make their way into her new home, she was scoping out the trees, the bushes, and the man-made pond on Thursday morning.
Zoo officials are excited to show off the rare Komodo Dragon species, not only for the sheer sight but for the message of conservation it brings.
"They're doing okay, but there's only about six thousand [dragons alive]," said Keith Lovett, Director of Living Collections at the Palm Beach Zoo. "The biggest thing about island ecosystems is that there's not a lot of room for error. If a lot of human inhabitants come in over those areas, there's not a lot of places the Komodos will go."
"It's a very fragile ecosystem these Komodos come from, so that's the message we're trying to teach," Lovett added.
Komodos are found on four islands near Indonesia and can reach up to 10 feet in length and 300 pounds in weight. They are the largest lizards in the world, and can eat up to 80 percent of their body weight in a single feeding.
"They can take down some very large animals -- wild boar, deer species, stuff like that," Lovett added, "and sometimes they don't kill the animal when they attack them. They have in their saliva about 50 different types of bacteria and some venemous qualities to that bacteria, and so sometimes, when they attack their prey, they may not kill it. But a couple days later that animal will die from the infection. And because they have a great sense of smell they can track it in the wild and get it a couple days later."
Hannibal makes her public debut at the Palm Beach Zoo on Friday, February 13th. She is on loan from Miami Metrozoo for about a year, authorities said.
Now, I understand that some foreign potentate recently made a gift of a Komodo dragon to some place in the United States.
Lazamataz would hit it!
her scaly skin, sharp claws, and forked tongue...
Wow, for a minute I thought we were talking about Helen Thomas.
Komodo Dragon Rendang Curry
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 1 whole Komodo Dragon, cut into small to medium-size pieces (OR the equivalent of beef)
· SAUCE:
· 2 gallons good-quality coconut milk
· 2 quarts. healthy oil, like organic canola
· 10 lbs onions, peeled and quartered
· 40 cloves garlic
· 10 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger)
· 10-30 red chillies, depending on how hot you like your curry (de-seeded if less heat is desired) OR substitute chili sauce
· 3/4 lb. tamarind paste
· 1 lb. brown sugar
· 2 cups. dark soy sauce
· 4 cups. fish sauce
· 1/2 lb. turmeric
· 1 lb. ground coriander seeds
· 1 lb. ground cumin
· 1 ½ lbs. cinnamon
· 1/4 lb. nutmeg
· 1/4 tsp. cloves
· 1 lb. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian food stores) OR substitute 1 pint or more fish sauce
· 2 whole star anise (use the Asian one, available at Asian food stores)
· GARNISH (optional):
· fresh coriander leaves
· dry shredded coconut
Preparation:
1. Chop onion and herbs finely and combine with the coconut milk, spices, and other ingredients. These herbs and spices can also be ground together with a pestle & mortar.
2. Do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili, or chili sauce. If too sour, add a little more brown sugar.
3. Place sauce in an appropriate sized wok or very large, deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add Komodo Dragon pieces, plus the whole star anise, and stir well.
4. Continue stirring occasionally as you bring the curry to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Do not cover the wok/frying pan, as you want the sauce to reduce and become thicker.
5. Allow the curry to simmer (stirring occasionally) for up to one hour, or until meat is cooked and tender. The sauce will reduce, so that it is almost like a coating on the meat (plus there will be a little sauce leftover in the wok/pan).
6. Serve directly from the wok/pan, or place the curry on a serving plate (with any extra sauce poured over). Garnish with a sprinkling of shredded coconut and fresh coriander (fresh chives work too, as in the picture). Serve hot with Thai jasmine-scented rice.
Komodos are notorious cannibals. Think that has something to do with why they’re endangered?
yOU BE ONE HANDY GAL!
Isn’t that about as big as you are?
LOL.
LOL
Sorry, I couldn’t resist!
;0)
There was an episode of the original Johnny Quest, in which a mad scientist on an island was breeding giant sized Komodo dragons. Even as a kid, I thought that this was a smashing good idea.
So what if each one eats a cow a month? There are plenty of cows.
Do not show them the above recipe!
What if they want to have the neighbors over for dinner?
sounds like a good meal!
My cousin has a 4-ft long iguana that he has raised since it was only about 5 inches long.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.