Are Komodo dragons really dragons?

Are Komodo dragons really dragons?

From But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids by Vermont Public

April 24, 2026 · 21 min · Episode 289

About this episode

This episode features Adam Clause discussing various lizard species and their characteristics.

Can’t get enough of lizards? We’re back with a bonus episode answering more of your lizard questions with Adam Clause of the San Diego Natural History Museum. This week, chameleons, Komodo dragons, iguanas, monitor lizards and tuatara! How do chameleons change color? Why are Komodo dragons called dragons and are they endangered? How many babies do monitor lizards have? Why do iguanas have dewlaps? (And what’s a dewlap?!) Why are iguanas green? What is a tuatara? Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slide | Transcript

People in this episode

Guest: Adam Clause

Topics covered

  • lizards
  • Komodo dragons
  • chameleons
  • iguana
  • monitor lizards
  • tuatara

Keywords

  • Komodo dragons
  • chameleons
  • iguana
  • monitor lizards
  • tuatara
  • lizard questions
  • endangered species

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: San Diego Natural History Museum

Places: San Diego

More episodes of But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids podcast page.