| Park information: | | | | Marine Ecosystem: |
| - Located between the islands of Flores and | | | | The three main marine ecosystems found at the |
| Sumbawa Island. | | | | Komodo National Park: |
| - Covers an area of between 1,875 and 2,321 | | | | - Sea grass beds |
| square kilometers. | | | | - Coral reefs |
| - Consist of three main Islands: Komodo, Rinca | | | | - Mangrove forests.� |
| and Padar | | | | Marine Fauna: |
| - Famous for its pre-historic and Komodo | | | | Komodo National Park has one of the richest |
| ‘’Dragons’’ – | | | | marine environments in the word. Forams, |
| found only in this area of the world. | | | | cnidaria, sponges, ascidians, marine worms, |
| - Home to one of the richest marine | | | | mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans, cartilaginous, |
| environments in the world. | | | | bony� fishes, marine reptiles, marine |
| - Excellent coral reefs. | | | | mammals (dolphins, whales, and dugongs), sea |
| - Outstanding diving spots. | | | | cucumbers (Holothuria), napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus |
| Facilities | | | | undulatus), and groupers are major sub-sea fauna |
| - Rangers’ house, restaurant and | | | | found at Komodo National Park. |
| information centers are located on both Komodo | | | | Marine Flora: |
| and Rinca Island | | | | The three major coastal marine plants: |
| - Currently the best way to stay overnight at the | | | | - Algae |
| park is to rent a local excursion boat and sleep on | | | | - Sea grasses |
| deck. Anchored just off shore from the park, this | | | | - Mangrove trees. |
| will allow an early morning trek in the reserve. | | | | Terrestrial Ecosystem: |
| How to get there | | | | - Long dry season (April to October) with high |
| - Labuan Bajo (West Flores) is the starting point | | | | temperatures and low rainfall. |
| to explore the Komodo National Park. Regular | | | | - A transition zone shared between Australian and |
| flights operate from Bali (Denpasar) to Labuan | | | | Asian flora and fauna. |
| Bajo, or travel overland from Bali by private | | | | - Open grass-woodland savannas, tropical |
| vehicle or public bus and inter-island ferries. | | | | deciduous (monsoon) forests and quasi-cloud |
| - The travel time from Labuan Bajo to Komodo | | | | forests. |
| Island is 4 hours by boat, and 2 hours from | | | | - A shared trait among many of the |
| Labuan Bajo to Rinca Island. | | | | park’s terrestrial plants species is that they |
| - Overnight accommodation is possible either at | | | | are xerophytes, capable of obtaining and retaining |
| the rangers’ house or on the deck of a | | | | water to survive the cyclical drought period. |
| local excursion boats | | | | - Terrestrial plants includes: grasses, shrubs, |
| - Arrangement for accommodation at the Park | | | | orchids, and trees. � |
| can be with Travel Agents,� West Flores | | | | Important food trees include Jatropha curkas, |
| guides or directly with the local boat owners. | | | | Zizyphus sp., Opuntia sp., Tamarindus indicus, |
| - Local excursion boat. | | | | Borassus flabellifer, Sterculia foetida, Ficus sp., |
| Komodo Island | | | | Cicus sp., ‘Kedongdong hutan’ |
| - Loh Liang is the main landing point to see | | | | (Saruga floribunda), and ‘Kesambi’ |
| Komodo ‘’dragons’’ on | | | | (Schleichera oleosa). |
| Komodo Island. | | | | Terrestrial Fauna |
| - Komodos are often seen at the dry river bed | | | | Many mammals found at the park are Asiatic in |
| Banu Nggulung, a half-hour walk from Loh Liang. | | | | origin - deer, pigs, macaques, civets. Other |
| When komodos were still fed before park visitors | | | | mammals include Timor deer (Cervus timorensis), |
| (a practice discontinued many years ago), Banu | | | | wild horses (Equus sp.), water buffalos (Bubalus |
| Nggulung was the traditional feeding ground. You | | | | bubalis), wild boars (Sus scrofa vittatus), long-tailed |
| are also likely to spot dragons looking for food | | | | macaques (Macaca fascicularis), palm civets |
| around the Rangers’ camp in Loh Liang. | | | | (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus lehmanni), the |
| - Hiking around the Island is possible with a local | | | | endemic Rinca rat (Rattus rintjanus), fruit bats, |
| guide. A round-trip climb up the slopes of Gunung | | | | goats, feral dogs and domestic cats.� |
| Ara (580m) takes around 3.5 hours. Or, consider | | | | Several bird species are Australian in origin - |
| hiking to Poreng Valley, located 5.5km from Loh | | | | orange-footed scrubfowl, the lesser |
| Liang. Along the way you may encounter | | | | sulpher-crested cockatoo and the nosy friarbird. |
| komodos as well as buffaloes, wild boar, and a | | | | 27 species observed in the park’s savanna |
| wide variety of bird species. | | | | area include: Geopelia striata and Streptopelia |
| - Visit Komodo village, a friendly, Muslim Buginese | | | | chinensis.� Philemon buceroides, Ducula |
| village only a half-hour walk from Loh Liang. | | | | aenea, and Zosterops chloris are observed in the |
| - Snorkeling and relaxing at Pantai Merah (Red | | | | mixed deciduous habitat� that is home to |
| Beach) or Pulau Lasa is on the | | | | 28 bird species. |
| ‘’must do’’ list for | | | | Reptiles at the park include, of course, the |
| Komodo Park visitors. | | | | legendary Komodo |
| Rinca Island | | | | ‘’Dragon,’’ 12 snake |
| - Loh Buaya is the access point to see Komodo | | | | species� including the cobra (Naja naja |
| ‘’dragons’’ on Rinca | | | | sputatrix), Russel’s pit viper (Vipera russeli), |
| Island. | | | | and the green tree vipers (Trimeresurus |
| - You may see the dragon around the camp at | | | | albolabris). Lesser lizards include 9 skink species |
| Loh Buaya. | | | | (Scinidae), geckos (Gekkonidae), limbless lizards |
| - Local guides generally know the spots where | | | | (Dibamidae), and the monitor lizards |
| the komodos sun themselves. | | | | (Varanidae).� Frogs species include the |
| - On a hiking tour you may also see long-tailed | | | | Asian Bullfrog (Kaloula baleata), Oreophyne |
| macaques, wild water buffaloes, Timor deer, wild | | | | jeffersoniana and Oreophyne darewskyi. |
| horses, boars, and rare megapode birds. | | | | |