Komodo Dragon - The Giant Lizard

The large, curved claws are used in self-defense as well as to eat food

Phylum :  Chordata

Class :  Reptilia

Order :  Squamata

Suborder : Lacertilia

Family : Varanidae
Genus : Varanus

Protection status : Vulnerable

Diet : Carnivore 

Habitat :  They live in hot and dry places, open grasslands and mostly in lowlands.

Komodo dragons are the  largest and heaviest lizards in the world. They are native to Indonesia and inhabit just four islands: Flores, Pandar, Rintja and the Komodo island. The scientific name of Komodo dragon is Varanus komodoensis. Komodo dragons are also called as Komodo monitors, Giant monitors, Land crocodiles and Oras. Their life expectancy is upto 20 - 40 years. Their sense of smell is the primary method of detecting food.

The Komodo dragon's saliva contains different strains of toxic bacteria that cause deadly infections in the prey. When it bites the prey, it injects the victim with a venom. Though the prey may not succumb to its injuries right away, the patient Komodo keeps following the animal with its immense sense of smell and eventually claims its victim.

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Photos were taken at Columbus Zoo, Ohio.

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TV Review: Sherlock - "A Study in Pink"

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman share excellent chemistry

The opening shots establish Dr Watson (Martin Freeman) as a man haunted by his war memories. As a result of his war injuries, Watson is aided by his walking stick. Compounding his already traumatized existence is the boredom and loneliness, which John tries to dispel by blogging. All this is about to change shortly, when he runs into an old friend, Stamford.

Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch), as we meet him, is whipping a corpse with a riding crop to find out if it is possible to inflict bruises on a dead body. His colleague, Molly Hooper (Loo Brealey) has a crush on him that appears to be completely unrequited.

No sooner than Sherlock and Watson have moved into 221B Baker Street that Watson starts noticing some truly bizarre things about his roommate. Holmes had already deduced a lot of information about Watson in their very first meeting and the presence of a human skull in the living room only serves to pique Watson’s interest even more.

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Soon Inspector Lestrade (Rupert Graves) visits them asking Sherlock for assistance in solving what appears to be the latest in a string of apparent suicides. The resulting investigation restores the much needed excitement and action back into the soldier’s life.

In addition to the investigation, Watson meets up with a stranger, who offers to bribe him in exchange for information on Sherlock. His powers of observation and deduction seem to exceed those of even Sherlock. Watson is convinced that he has met the archenemy of Sherlock.

This episode is based on A Study in Scarlet and has some significant deviations from the canon. While the modus operandi of the killer remains the same, his motivations are vastly different. What was originally a story of revenge has been modified to suit the story arc of this modern adaptation, which is to introduce Moriarty as a devious mastermind and the one man hell-bent on a mission to destroy Sherlock.

Loo Brealey as Molly Hooper with Benedict Cumberbatch

The series has always been marked by sharp wit and humor and this is apparent nowhere more than in this season (and series) opener. With a spot-on performance from Cumberbatch and a smart update of the Canon, this episode is just the right start to the series that would soon become a worldwide hit.

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Image Sources: Cumberbatchweb, three hares

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