Boudreaux, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s komodo
dragon, turns 10 years old today! He was born on Jan. 17, 2003 and arrived at our
Zoo in September 2011.
“All you need to know about Boudreaux is he
is one cool guy,” said April Hyatt, Aquatics Zoo Keeper. “He enjoys when
keepers are in his exhibit and when he gets attention.”
Hyatt also reports that Boudreaux is a very
active komodo dragon for his size and age. “When komodo dragons are young, they
are arboreal, meaning they spend a great deal of time in trees. When they are
older, they are more terrestrial, or ground dwelling. Boudreaux weighs 92
pounds, but he still enjoys climbing the trees in his exhibit, which is unique
for his size.”
Guests can frequently watch Boudreaux swimming,
walking around in the sand and enjoying enrichment. His favorite enrichment
items include boxes, small pieces of animal hide and anything that he can dig
under.
Boudreaux is a great ambassador for komodo
dragons. Guests are fascinated by him, which gives keepers an avenue to educate
about the species.
Found only in Indonesia, komodos can grow up
to 10 feet long and 300 pounds, classifying them as the heaviest lizards on
Earth. There are 3,000 to 5,000 komodo dragons in the wild. Poaching, human
encroachment and natural disasters have driven them to an endangered species
status.
To learn more about komodo dragons and to wish
Boudreaux “Happy 10th Birthday,” stop by the Aquatics building at Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo.
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