Komodo dragons are carnivores with a diet that varies by age and size.

• Young Komodo dragons primarily eat insects, small lizards, snakes, birds, and bird eggs. They may also consume small rodents

• Medium-sized dragons eat rats, birds, and begin scavenging carrion around one year old or when they reach about 3 feet in length

• Large adult Komodo dragons hunt and consume larger prey such as deer (especially Timor deer), wild pigs, goats, water buffalo, and even horses. They are apex predators capable of killing animals much larger than themselves

• They are opportunistic feeders and will scavenge carcasses, including those of their own species (cannibalism), and sometimes human corpses

• Their hunting strategy relies on stealth and power, often ambushing prey and delivering a venomous bite that causes fatal infection. They tear chunks of flesh or swallow smaller prey whole, aided by flexible jaws and expandable stomachs

• After a large meal, they may eat up to 80% of their body weight and then rest in the sun to aid digestion

In summary, Komodo dragons eat a wide range of meat, from insects and small reptiles when young, to large mammals like deer, pigs, and buffalo as adults, along with carrion and sometimes conspecifics