Komodo Dragon Stuffed Toy

As children, we love to make believe that all the things we know can't possibly be real, just might exist if we have a little faith and a whole lot of imagination– gold at the end of a rainbow, talking toys, unicorns, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, and even dragons, to name a few. A dragon stuffed toy is one of those plush toys that children are enthralled with more than other plush toys because they represent the fire-breathing, winged serpent they only hear about in books or see in the movies. A dragon stuffed toy is that story or that movie come to life, and for a child, it doesn't get much better than that.

The closest thing we will ever have on our planet even remotely 'related' to the storied dragon, is the Komdo – the heaviest lizard on earth weighing in at more than 300 pounds. Komodo dragons are native to the Sunda Islands in Indonesia and have flat, long heads with rounded snouts, short legs, scaly skin that can be dark yellow, green, brown and grey in color, sharp claws and enormous muscular tails. All that's missing are the wings, typically described on dragons depicted in fiction. Komodo dragons have managed to live quite well for millions of years on their island home but humans only discovered them about 100 years ago.

Given Komodo dragons are the chief predator on the few islands in which they live, they will dine on just about everything including, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, carrion, and water buffalo. They are skilled hunters, lying in wait, camoflaged, until their prey wanders by. They then spring into action using their sharp teeth to get their prey. The saliva found in a Komodo's mouth is filled with more than 50 strains of bacteria which will cause thier prey to die within 24 hours due to blood poisoning. As the bacteria takes effect, the Komodo will follow the animal for miles, using their sense of smell (they can detect scent up to 5 miles away) to locate it. Komodo's are great swimmers and can travel through strong ocean currents and over long distances just to find available food sources. In a single feeding, they will eat 80 percent of their own body weight.

While Komodo dragon stuffed toys are fun to have, for anyone fascinated with dragons, any dragon stuffed toy will do. After all, you can just as easily imagine a Komodo dragon stuffed toy come to life as you can any other dragon stuffed toy.

Angeline Hope is a collector of giant stuffed plush animals. You can view a selection of giant stuffed plush animals including dragon stuffed animals at MyBigPlush.