Endemic Animals In Indonesia

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 • What is the Komodo dragon?
Komodo Dragon • Reaching up to 10 feet in length and
COMMON NAME: 
more than 300 pounds, Komodo
Komodo dragons dragons are the heaviest lizards on
SCIENTIFIC NAME: 
Varanus komodoensis
Earth. They have long, flat heads with
TYPE:  rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs,
Reptiles
DIET: 
and huge, muscular tails.
Carnivore • Habitat
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 
Up to 30 years • Komodo dragons have thrived in the
SIZE: 
10 feet
harsh climate of Indonesia's Lesser
WEIGHT:  Sunda Islands for millions of years.
330 pounds
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN:
They prefer the islands’ tropical forests
but can be found across the islands.
Though these athletic reptiles can walk 
up to seven miles per day, they prefer
to stay close to home—rarely venturing
far from the valleys in which they
hatched.
 • What is the Sumatran tiger?
• The Sumatran tiger is a subspecies of tiger native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It’s the smallest of the
tigers, possibly because it evolved on an isolated island habitat. The Sumatran tiger’s stripes are closer together
 and its fur is a darker orange than other subspecies, better allowing it to blend into its tropical rainforest habitat.
Sumatran tiger • Its distinctive beard and mane also help set it apart.
• Diet and hunting
COMMON NAME: 
• Like all tigers, Sumatran tigers are carnivores. They will prey on almost any available animal, big or small. This 
Sumatran tiger
includes fish, monkeys, wild boar, tapirs, and deer, among many others. They hunt at night and tend to make about
SCIENTIFIC NAME:  one large kill a week.
Panthera tigris sumatrae
TYPE:  • hey can run up to nearly 40 miles per hour, but only in short bursts, so
Mammals they have to make the most of it. That’s why they’re ambush predators,
DIET: 
Carnivore slowly and silently stalking their prey until they’re ready to pounce.
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  Habitat loss means Sumatran tigers are having to walk farther and
15 years farther in search of a meal—sometimes up to 18 miles.
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN CAPTIVITY: 
20 years • Lifecycle
SIZE: 
Up to eight feet • Sumatran tigers are solitary, except during courtship, when a male and
WEIGHT:  female will spend several days together, mating often to ensure
260 pounds
success. A female is pregnant for about a hundred days before giving
birth to a litter of one to six cubs. The cubs stick with their mothers for
about two years.
 • There are more than three dozen species in the family Paradisaeidae, more
commonly known as the birds of paradise.

Bird of paradise
• Colorful Characteristics
• Most are distinguished by striking colors and bright plumage of yellow, blue, scarlet,
(cendrawasih) and green. These colors distinguish them as some of the world's most dramatic and
attractive birds. Males often sport vibrant feathered ruffs or amazingly elongated
feathers, which are known as wires or streamers. Some species have enormous
head plumes or other distinctive ornaments, such as breast shields or head fans.
COMMON NAME: 
Birds of Paradise • Mating Rituals
SCIENTIFIC NAME:  • Males put their bright colors and unusual ornaments to good use when they display
Paradisaeidae for females. Their elaborate dances, poses, and other rituals accentuate their
TYPE:  appearance and put on a phenomenal show for both female birds and any humans
lucky enough to be in the vicinity. Such displays can last for hours, and in many
Birds species they consume a significant part of the male's time.
SIZE: 
4.75 to 39 inches • Population Range
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT • Birds of paradise are found in New Guinea and surrounding islands. The
MAN: manucodes and riflebirds species also dwell in Australia. Birds of paradise are so
attractive that their appearance once made them the target of skin hunters, who
decimated some species.
 Orangutans • The Malay word orangutan means “person of the forest.” These
long-haired, orangish primates, found only in Sumatra and Borneo,
(pongo) are highly intelligent and are close relatives of humans.
• Size
COMMON NAME:  • Orangutans have an enormous arm span. A male may stretch his
Orangutans arms some 7 feet from fingertip to fingertip—a reach considerably
SCIENTIFIC NAME: 
longer than his standing height of about 5 feet. When orangutans do
Pongo
TYPE: 
stand, their hands nearly touch the ground.
Mammals • Life in the Trees
DIET: 
Omnivore • Orangutans' arms are well suited to their lifestyle because they
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  spend much of their time (some 90 percent) in the trees of their
30 to 40 years tropical rain forest home. They even sleep aloft in nests of leafy
SIZE:  branches. They use large leaves as umbrellas and shelters to
Standing height: 4 to 5 feet protect themselves from the common rains.
WEIGHT: 
73 to 180 pounds • Diet
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN:
• These cerebral primates forage for food during daylight hours. Most
of their diet consists of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest
trees. They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions, meat.
 • It may seem hard to believe, but male proboscis monkeys use their
Proboscis Monkey fleshy, pendulous noses to attract mates. Scientists think these outsize
(Bekantan) organs create an echo chamber that amplifies the monkey’s call,
impressing females and intimidating rival males.
COMMON NAME: 
Proboscis Monkey • Habitat and Behavior
SCIENTIFIC NAME:  • Proboscis monkeys are endemic to the jungles of Borneo, never
Nasalis larvatus
straying far from the island’s rivers, coastal mangroves, and swamps.
TYPE: 
Mammals They are a highly arboreal species and will venture onto land only
DIET:  occasionally to search for food. They live in organized harem groups
Omnivore consisting of a dominant male and two to seven females and their
GROUP NAME:  offspring. Various groups often congregate near water at night to sleep.
Harem, band
SIZE: 
• Size and Appearance
24 to 28 inches • Among the largest of Asia’s monkeys, male proboscis specimens can
WEIGHT:  reach 50 pounds, although females attain only about half that size.
Up to 50 pounds (males)
SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN
Adults wear a coat of light brown fur that turns red around the head
and shoulders and gray at the arms, legs, and tail. Only males develop
the namesake nose.