Behavior of Varamis Komodoensis 
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Figure 10. Wind direction and velocity, Loho 
Liang, Komodo, showing direction, distance and 
size (in m) of resident (solid lines) and transient 
monitors (dashed lines) that came to carrion on 
Nov. 21-23, 1969. Wavy lines represent monitors 
that came from unknown distances or directions. 
Because topographic and vegetational fea- 
tures modify wind patterns, some locations 
are more favorable than others as sentinel 
areas from which windborne odors may be 
detected. Because of the generally prevailing 
southern, inshore, daytime winds, these fa- 
vorable areas tend to be the higher, exposed 
knolls and ridges above forested valley floors. 
Ordinarily, simple airstreams have no in- 
fluence on the direction of the motion of a 
monitor, but when that same airstream car- 
ries the scent of carrion the monitor turns 
into the air current and moves toward the 
source of the odor, usually in the valleys 
where the winds are more variable. The mon- 
itor’s search pattern is such that directional 
turns occur irregularly, to either the right or 
left at certain junctures with other trails. 
Trailing studies have shown that more direc- 
tional changes occur when the monitor moves 
into a weaker scent fleld than into a stronger 
one (Table 14). The sum total of its maneu- 
vers gives the impression of a drift-like 
movement toward the bait that seems obvious 
to an observer in the fleld, but is difficult to 
document. Thus the movement of oras towards 
Table 14. Number of directional changes 
with distance from carrion. 
Distance From Carrion 
(in m) 
Number of 
Directional Changes 
per 100 m 
1-100 
12 
101-200 
31 
201-300 
46 
301-400 
108 
401 + 
201 
a carcass represents a typical case of klino- 
kinesis, similar to that described by Fraenkel 
and Gunn (1961) for other lower vertebrates. 
Feeding Techniques and Adaptations 
Feeding on large carrion begins by the 
monitor’s ripping open the body wall and 
pulling out the intestines. Sometimes the 
body wall is eaten first. The stomach and 
intestines are usually violently slung from 
side to side in order to free them of their 
contents that are not intentionally eaten. 
Next the ora’s head is thrust deep within the 
body cavity, and the diaphragm, lungs, and 
heart are pulled out and eaten. The remain- 
ing body wall is then cut away, followed by 
the muscles of the axial skeleton and girdles 
(for details, see Burden, 1928; Pfeifer, 1959; 
Auffenberg, 1972). 
Varanids are the only living reptiles, other 
than turtles, that cut their food into sections 
before swallowing it. Of all the species de- 
scribed, V. komodoensis is the most adept at 
this process. Burden (1928) and others have 
shown that the compressed, serrated teeth, 
large mass, and jerking body movements are 
largely responsible for this efficiency. 
Due to skull specializations conferring 
great mobility to the head (Auifenberg, MS), 
the size of the pieces swallowed and the 
amounts eaten are sometimes astonishing 
(Burden, 1928; Hoogerwerf, 1954; Auffen- 
berg, 1972, MS). Feeding is very rapid, with 
carrion intake rates as high as 2.5 kg/min. 
However, an average of only 6.9 min/day is 
spent in actual feeding; the remaining time 
