Komodo, the Living Dragon

Chicago Herpetological Society

Book Review

Title:	Komodo, The Living Dragon (revised edition)
Author:	Dick Lutz and J. Marie Lutz
1997. Dimi Press, Salem. OR 97302. 193 pp. ISBN 0-931625-27-0. Softbound.
Reviewed by:	Brian Jones

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Reprinted from the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society [32(7):153, July 1997]

Whenever I meet someone who isn't a reptile enthusiast and the subject of family pets comes up, the reaction I get is predictable.

"What kind of pets to you have?"

"Oh, three cats and about 60 lizards," is my usual reply.

"Lizards?! Wow! Do you have any of those Komodo dragons?" is the question that often follows. Komodo dragons are the only lizard many people can name. And to some, this infamous varanid ranks right up there with the great white shark or the alligator as a malicious, calculating man-eater just waiting to prey on anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path.

One can easily see how these animals could gain such a reputation. Inhabiting four of the Lesser Sunda Islands east of Bali and south of Borneo in the independent Republic of Indonesia (formerly the Dutch East Indies), they existed only in legend to most of the world until their official "discovery" in 1910.

The dragons of Komodo should be seen as they truly are--magnificent reptiles that just happen to be at the top of the food chain in an island ecosystem where large carnivorous mammals failed to establish themselves. In the second edition of their book, Komodo, The Living Dragon, authors Dick Lutz and J. Marie Lutz (father and daughter) view these creatures in exactly this way. They chronicle the discovery of the dragons and early attempts at keeping them in zoos around the world, the history of which is quite depressing. They also detail the animal's current status both in captivity and in the wild. And for those readers who might want to experience these impressive creatures in their natural habitat, the book contains useful information about traveling to Komodo and its neighboring islands.

The book is divided into three main sections, the first of which comprises four chapters: "Komodo Dragons in the Wild"; "Traveling to Komodo Island"; "How Komodo Dragons Were Discovered"; and "The Unhappy Beginning of Dragon Zookeeping." Having only seen PBS documentaries on the dragons' behaviors and environment, I personally found this first section to be the most interesting. It includes accurate and colorful accounts of the animals, a description of their island home, and a detailed history of their discovery. A discussion of the first woefully unsuccessful attempts at keeping these animals in zoos around the world, with most of the dragons dying, sometimes only months after their arrival, brings the reader to the second section of the book.

Section Two has three chapters: "Komodo Dragons in Modern Indonesia"; "Komodo Dragons and the Modern Zoo"; and "The New Generation." These chapters detail the status of dragons during the last few years and at present. Recent successes in keeping and breeding Komodos in zoos, as well as the opportunity for the authors to correct some mistakes that had appeared in the first edition were two of the main reasons for revising that edition.

The third section has two chapters: "Hope for the Future" and "The Cincinnati Zoo Maintains Current Zoo Populations." These are followed by an appendix describing the National Zoo's support of field research on Komodos, and finally a bibliography and index. The book is written to provide the average person an accurate view of the life and natural history of one of the world's most fascinating and misunderstood lizards, the Komodo dragon. I would suggest that anyone interested in these animals read this informative and well-written edition of Komodo, The Living Dragon.