Starting on Aug. 8 and continuing for the next 11 days, 22 Komodo dragons hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo.

 

On Jan. 22, 2010, Lima, the Zoo’s female Komodo dragon, laid 23 eggs. Less than 10 zoos in North America have been able to breed Komodos; these hatchings marked the L.A. Zoo’s first success at breeding them.

 

Hatchlings are 14 to 20 inches (36 to 51 centimeters) long and weigh about 3 to 4 ounces (85 to 113 grams). Komodos, the world’s largest lizard, can grow to approximately 9 feet (3 meters), weighing up to 200 pounds (90 kilograms) or more. They are confined to a small set of islands in Indonesia.