The komodo dragon lives on a small island in Indonesia, actually called Komodo Island.  Throughout the centuries rumors and stories have existed about these giant dragons.  Komodo dragons aren’t actual dragons, but are monitor lizards, the largest species of lizard.  And until the last 100 years or so, not too much was known about them.  People traveled to Komodo Island to capture and kill these creatures pretty much for sport.  By the late 1960’s, scientists were worried about them becoming extinct.  Interestingly enough, female lizards are able to lay eggs, hatching only males, without fertilization from males.  She and a male can then mate and create more males and females and keep the species going.  Studies done have shown that komodos in the wild are quite different than those in captivity.  Those in captivity can be quite docile and gentle, whereas those in the wild can be dangerous, and often are.  The photographs in this book are amazing.  Plus, it’s so interesting to find that the environment really affects the personality of this creature.  A portion of the proceeds of this book are donated to the Komodo Survival Program.  It is also noted that komods are protected under international law and they nor their skins can be taken from the wild, neither alive nor dead.