Page "Komodo dragon" Paragraph 30

Mating occurs between May and August, with the eggs laid in September.

During this period, males fight over females and territory by grappling with one another upon their hind legs with the loser eventually being pinned to the ground.

These males may vomit or defecate when preparing for the fight.

The winner of the fight will then flick his long tongue at the female to gain information about her receptivity.

Females are antagonistic and resist with their claws and teeth during the early phases of courtship.

Therefore, the male must fully restrain the female during coitus to avoid being hurt.

Other courtship displays include males rubbing their chins on the female, hard scratches to the back, and licking.

Copulation occurs when the male inserts one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca.

Komodo dragons may be monogamous and form " pair bonds ", a rare behavior for lizards.