BobbieSue reporting today – it’s been a while since my last report – not much to report on around here! But for those of you who find reptiles off-putting – this is your one warning!! No worries -my story’s not about snakes – but dragons!! Komodo Dragons to be exact.
The story starts several years ago with a male Komodo Dragon named Teman who lives at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum.
This is Teman – he’s a big guy, isn’t he? Well it seems male dragons live for 60 years and and can grow up to 10 feet and weigh up to 330 pounds! Unfortunately they are also endangered in the wild so there are breeding programs in certain zoos, or, in this case, aquariums.
So a couple of years ago a female dragon named Jude moved in (she was on loan from San Antonio) and she and Teman tried a couple of times for babies but it never happened. Then in June she became deathly ill and had to be euthanized.
The staff at the aquarium were so devastated they left her enclosure alone. Then, surprise, surprise, on August 18 two baby dragons popped their heads up in Jude’s old enclosure!!!
The staff had no idea that Jude had laid a clutch of eggs before her unfortunate death in June! Out of 18 eggs only two hatched so far (the rest are in an incubator but the staff don’t think they’ll hatch).
The babies are off display right now being watched over like the true treasures they are!
Mother Jude evaded the aquarium’s cameras that monitored her 24-7, dug down two feet and then tunneled under her exhibit to hide her eggs. And there they lay, slowly maturing for 7 months!!!
Komodo Dragons are considered “Vulnerable” on the endangered list because of human encroachment and the reproductive problems of the female dragons. We are grateful these two babies survived against all odds!!
It’s probably too early to tell their gender, but they sure are cute!!!!
I found this story in The Virginian-Pilot and all photos are by The’ N. Pham.
Please go HERE to read more about it online!
Please go HERE to read more about Komodo Dragons on National Geographic!
Well, I hope you enjoyed my news report – even if it wasn’t about cats!!!!
See you next time when I’ll have more news to report – whenever that is!!!
Toby In Charge 
BobbieSue, you make dragons seem sort of nice. That is a major accomplishment. Mr. M & I used dragons as ‘the enemy’ in the Chatterre trilogy. Just yesterday, Mr. M was waxing nostalgic about how much fun he had ‘channeling Kazza’, the magical tiger in the series. Of course, the dragons in that series were not cute, like these – they were huge, nested in volcanoes and fed on magical cats.
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BobbieSue, that is great story. I wonder if the poor mom had an egg stuck in her or was weakened from having all those eggs. That is truly a miracle that 2 hatched.
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According to the paper she had a reproductive condition known as egg-yolk coelomitis – which is something like you suggested, an egg stuck inside; the vets had to perform emergency surgery and she never recovered from the surgery. It seems to be an all too common condition of female dragons, which is another reason why they are on the endangered list.
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That is a super cool story!
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Well now dat’s very innerestin’. We’re not crazy ’bout da reptile furmily, and these guys sure are ugly, but hey, live and let live we say. MOL You on da other hand look absolutely gawjus.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
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Thank you! Mom likes the dragons – but then she had an iguana once long ago!
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Great story, BobbieSue! I must admit that I’m not a fan of lizards. We have a ton of those little ones in our backyard. But I’m glad that Jude will live on through her two babies.
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Lizards have a face only a mom could love!
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Mee-you Bobbie Sue what a furabuluss bloggie!! Mee nevurr new about Komodo Dragonss an mee leerned a lot readin yur post! LadyMum sayss thee Dragonss are berry strong an reegal…
Wee both agree thee 2 kittss are cute cute cute!! Wishin them a long an healthee life….
An Jude wee are sorry you were not here to see yur kittss…..
***nose kissesss*** Siddhartha Henry xxxx
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How awesome that there are some babies!!
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We wish the two miracle dragons all the best as they grow!
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Those babies are precious…and true miracles!
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I’m so glad it had a happy ending! Beautiful story for such gorgeous creatures.
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