Why do young Komodo dragons live in trees?

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black girdle-tailed lizard — lizard Black girdle-tailed lizard (*Cordylus nigra*).

Young Komodo dragons live in trees primarily to avoid being eaten by adults of their own species. While adult Komodo dragons are apex predators that occasionally engage in cannibalism, the arboreal lifestyle of the juveniles provides a necessary refuge from these larger, aggressive members of their population.1