This quartet of baby dragons won't breathe fire, but they might just melt your heart.
There are more babies to "ooh" and "ahh" over at the zoo, and this time, they have scales. The Denver Zoo announced that four Komodo dragons hatched in early December and have recently made their public debut. They are currently in the nursery near the main Komodo dragon exhibit in the Tropical Discovery area.
"These little ones measure only 18-inches long but could reach up to 10 feet and 175 pounds when fully grown," said the Zoo on its Facebook page.
In the wild, Komodo dragons are found on a few small islands east of Bali and south of Borneo -- including Komodo Island, Flores Island, Rinca Island, and Padar Island. They carry a vulnerable status from the IUCN, as they live in a volcanic region where an eruption could wipe out the entire 3,000- to 5,000-dragon population.
Cool facts about Komodo dragons include having 60 razor sharp teeth that are constantly replaced; they can go through up to five sets of teeth in their lifetime. They eat mainly carrion, though they will also ambush large prey. You better hope that large prey isn't you, as their saliva contains up to 50 different strains of bacteria that will bring you down. In addition, they use their forked tongues to smell food, and can detect the smell of dead or dying animals up to five miles away!
If these reptiles are your style, you can also symbolically adopt one, helping the zoo to provide it and its buddies with world-class care.
Check out the Denver Zoo's time-lapse video of one of the Komodo dragons making its first foray into the world. While still relatively little, it's pretty shocking how something that size could come out of that small egg! And admit it, it's pretty darn cute when it lays down to rest after the hard journey.
Have you visited the new Komodo dragons at the zoo yet? If so, share your photos and videos with us!
