Adapted from Cold-Blooded Murder: Reptiles and Amphibians on the Brink of Extinction by Craig Stanford. Published by Columbia University Press. Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved. Komodo dragons were nearly mythical creatures until the first detailed field study was conducted by Walter Auffenberg in the late 1960s. Their dinosaurian appearance combined with the remoteness of their natural habitat made them a dream species for hardcore wildlife enthusiasts, and the dream acquisition for many zoos. These days they have been exported to zoos in many countries, have been bred in captivity, and have been the subject of much field and captive research.  The experience of seeing these giant lizards in the wild has changed a lot too. In past decades, those intrepid tourists who made it to Komodo gathered at a makeshift amphitheater where park guards had tied a goat to a stake. The dragons had become accustomed to the grisly ritual.…