LEGION OF LIZARDS
Legion of Lizards , acrylic on canvas, 2022. 30" X 24" Lizards are the largest group of reptiles, numbering more than 3700 species. They are most common in tropical zones across the world except the far north and Antarctica. The Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis , center bottom) is the world's largest lizard and is native to several small islands in Indonesia, including the island of Komodo where it got its name. It is a carnivore that hunts large herbivorous mammals such as wild pigs and deer, where it uses its primary weapon, a bite which employs toxic proteins, to subdue its prey. Growing up to 3 meters long and weighing more than 150 kg, the Komodo dragon is the national animal of Indonesia. Juvenile Komodo dragons (one below the adult in the painting, another hiding in a hole on the tree) are greenish with yellow and black bands but become solid gray to reddish-brown as they age. Young dragons will sometimes hide in trees until they are about eight months old to av