Comments on: Dragon Hunt Continues

By: matthewnpng

matthewnpng — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:01:11 +0000

I agree we do NOT want these things escaping and breeding in the U.S.A.

Subject of next low-budget science fiction film…or have they done that one already?

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:18:34 +0000

Scary stuff. I agree we do NOT want these things escaping and breeding in the U.S.A.

By: anthroman

anthroman — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:28:40 +0000

I do remember an Arthur C. Clark episode during the 1980’s of an Englishman sighting of a Giant Lizard in New Guinea.

By: kittenz

kittenz — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:27:03 +0000

Komodo dragons are awesome creatures, but I sure hope that they never get loose and start breeding in, say, Florida :).

Maybe what people are seeing is a wholly new species of monitor lizard. That would be fantastic.

By: Saint Vitus

Saint Vitus — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:36:06 +0000

I had no idea there were any existing lizards longer than the Komodo Dragon. 15 feet long is pretty huge, once something is that size it hardly qualifies as a lizard anymore!

By: DWA

DWA — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:23:32 +0000

Stories like this rank second only to sas and yeti for why I come here.

My thoughts:

1) the croc-monitor folks seem to have this one on the head. The cities of PNG/Irian Jaya are probably packed with people who have watched more TV than seen native animals.

2) The more the merrier? The Law of Unintended Consequences aside, there’s quite a bit of introduced stuff on that island (rusa deer, wild pig, wild dog, a wallaby or two…any others…?) that could use some preying on. Heck, I’ve even considered dealing with the massive-reintro problem of large animals in New Zealand by introducing Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, wolf and/or snow leopard - all species that could use the help. Any thoughts? lol

By: mahlerfan

mahlerfan — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:00:56 +0000

Although the Komodo dragon is considered the worlds largest lizard, the crocodile monitor (Varanus salvadori) , endemic to Papua New Guinea is considered to be the worlds longest. It is not as bulky as the Komodo dragon as unlike them they are arboreal in habit. The species is secretive and has a very long tail. The statements by the witness that he saw something drop and then saw a creature with a very long tail, I think, seems to point more in the direction of the crocodile monitor than to a Komodo dragon.

By: KurtB

KurtB — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:25:12 +0000

Doesn’t New Guinea have its own alleged giant lizard (the “New Guinea Dragon”)? I seem to remember this has been filmed and it looks like a giant monitor. It sounds as if officials are only guessing that the creature involved here is an out of place Komodo, based on eyewitness reports.

By: Alligator

Alligator — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:13:29 +0000

It is implied but not certain in the story that someone imported Komodos into Paupua.

On the other hand, New Guinea is loaded with several native species of monitor lizards, ranging from the small black and green tree species to the large water monitor and the giant crocodile monitor, nicknamed the “tree crocodile.” This lizard is sleeker and not as heavy as the Komodo, but it does reach a length of up to 15 feet. The fact that a witness heard it drop (from a tree?) makes me wonder if that is not what it was. Only very young Komodos climb.

A monitor lizard straying into town from the bush is not implausible and like many urban dwellers, the folks there may no longer recognize their own native wildlife.