Komodo (island) Komodo (island) Komodo () is one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia. The island is particularly notable as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, which is named after the island. Komodo Island has a surface area of 390 square kilometres and a human population of over two thousand. The people of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed with Bugis from Sulawesi. The people are primarily adherents of Islam but there are also Christian and Hindu congregations. Komodo is part of
Giant girdled lizard Giant girdled lizard The sungazer ("Smaug giganteus", syn. "Cordylus giganteus"), also known as the giant girdled lizard or giant dragon lizard or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from Sub-Saharan Africa. This threatened species is endemic to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa. In 2011, it was assigned to the new genus "Smaug" along with seven other species previously belonging to the genus "Cordylus", based on a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the Cordylidae. The sungazer is a heavily armoured species, with a typical snout–to-vent length of (exceptionally up to ), and