I attended the keeper talk a few months back and he told us that it was in fact a she, which I was surprised by as it appears they were previously of the belief Khan was a male.
Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2025
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Thanks @Zoofan15 - really helpful info. Khan/Kahn (the next mystery to be solved is her spelling!) is a new favourite of mine, will be great to watch her outgrow that enclosure over time. I'll keep training my eye on the gorillas.
Melbourne Zoo are spelling the Komodo’s name as Kahn:
Come and meet Kahn, the first Komodo Dragon to be bred in Australia. They're the world's largest lizards, growing up to three metres in length and weighing over 70 kilograms.
Explore the Main Trail at Melbourne Zoo | Zoos Victoria
The best way to ID any animal in a group is discount what you can. ID the silverback (easy). Identify the adolescent (easy). Identify the eldest female (easy). That leaves you with two prime aged females. From there, Mbeli has the rounder face and can typically be found in closer proximity to Otana.
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I had thought that a blood test could reveal the sex of reptiles?
Komodo dragons are one of the few reptile species that can be sexed by blood testing. One source says the only other is Green iguana. The reason for this is the chromosomes that determine the sex are not as easily identified as they are in mammal and avian species.
DNA testing via blood samples is conducted in Komodo dragons not only to ascertain the sex; but to confirm if the hatchlings were conceived via natural mating or parthenogenesis.
Male Komodo dragons are ZZ
Female Komodo dragons are ZW
A female with a Z and a W chromosome can produce offspring without a male by duplicating her Z chromosome to create a ZZ (male). All parthenogenesis offspring are male.
In sexual reproduction, a female (ZW) and a male (ZZ) will produce offspring in a 50:50 male (ZZ)/female (ZW) ratio.
A recent 7News article has confirmed she passed due to "bacterial sepsis".
Abstract from article:
Among the losses was Melbourne Zoo’s beloved Western lowland gorilla, Kimya, who died suddenly from bacterial sepsis — a fast-acting and difficult-to-treat infection.
“She was treated with antibiotics at the first sign of illness, but the infection had progressed too far,” a spokesperson said.
Complex health conditions drive up death toll of zoo animals
Thanks for sharing.
I had wondered if the cause of death had been some kind of infection (e.g. pyometra) given Kimya was an otherwise healthy prime aged female gorilla.
Despite the tragedies at Taronga (death of the juvenile female Fikiri) and Melbourne, I’m optimistic for the future of Melbourne’s troop. It seems the new females have settled in well, even Johari, who I had concerns about. Hopefully she will remain accepted by Otana long term. Fingers crossed we hear news of a pregnancy from Mbeli in the next couple of years.
I had an unexpected opportunity to visit Melbourne Zoo on a whim and enjoyed an afternoon today with overcast conditions with only a little rain towards closing. I fortunately usually travel with my camera even if the trip isn’t meant to be animal-focused so I brought it with me. Big weekend crowds and lots of animal activity today in the cool conditions. Photos to come in the coming week. General observations and news below:
- Regent Parrots have been added to the Great Flight Aviary. They were feeding on leftover cassowary food with a pair of Noisy Pitta and male Satin Bowerbirds. They make for a beautiful addition.
- the zoo have imported a new batch of Madagascar Giant Day Geckoes. Some of them are on-display in the former Tokay Gecko tank.
- the Freshwater Crocodile enclosure is receiving a major revamp with its occupant not on-display currently.
- the new Australian Ringneck previously mentioned being mixed with the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and White-browed Woodswallow, is specifically a Twenty-eight Parrot, B. z. semitorquatus. Along with Regent Parrots, two excellent parrot additions since my last visit.
- a Red-bellied Black Snake has replaced the Tiger Snake.
- some of the Gila Monster hatchlings are on-show in the former Pueblan Milksnake tank.
- the Red-spotted Rose Chafer/Fiddle Beetle tank is currently empty.
- rainbowfish (presumably Murray River) are now with the Southern Bell Frogs.
- Spiny Terrapin - the last in an Australian zoo - showed wonderfully today poking its nose at an Elongated Tortoise. Other remnant species like the three Collared Peccaries, the Buffon’s Macaw and the Rainbow Boa were all seen.
- the outdoor box turtle/small tortoise enclosure along the main trail was closed for renovation.
- both Tammar and Swamp Wallaby are still mixed with the kangaroo and emu.
- General highlights - all five gorillas were super active. Female Frala was keeping to herself among straw but the other four were all interacting. Keepers are starting training with the tapir so I got excellent views as I walked past it with the target and keeper. Finally the giraffe calf showed well all day.
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Thanks for the update are you going to Werribee zoo next?
Thanks for the updates! Look forward to seeing the photos.
Still it's exciting to have Madagascar Giant Day Geckos on display again.
Just took a lot in my notes and actually saw these guys when I visited 17/08 simply marked down as - 'unidentified yellow bird with dark lower feathers'. I'm not too good with ID'ing birds I haven't previously seen, so thanks for that!
That's surprising to hear re. the Tokay Gecko. I've looked at my notes and have seen one Tokay Gecko on all three of my most recent visits. I wonder whether that individual has just been taken off display (the zoo had two males as of mid last year, per their inventory).
Still it's exciting to have Madagascar Giant Day Geckos on display again.
The exhibit was empty when I visited 17/06, but upon my visit just two months later, I saw the snake, and again a few weeks later.
Is this the terrarium near the entrance? There's still at least one Pueblan Milksnake in with the Hondurans.
That's interesting news. This is the tank next to the Rock Orb Weavers and Diving Beetles, correct?
Good to hear that he's still around! He's eluded me this year thus far, so hopefully I can catch him when I next visit.
It's been closed for many months now. It looked like they were building a structure to the side of the habitat - perhaps an indoor area for the tortoises.
Only time to squeeze in another city facility unfortunately - either aquarium or museum.
Near the entrance. Between the Broad-headed Snake and Cantil. I didn’t see any sign of any milk snakes of either taxa unfortunately.
The tank next to the it had a Giant Golden Orbweaver.
As of early September, there was a few Honduran Milksnakes alongside at least one Pueblan in a terrarium also near the entrance; next to the Red Barred Dragons. I plan to visit in the next week or so anyway - so I'll check this.
It appears from my notes that the tank was undergoing renovation when I visited in June, however was completed come August. I wasn't able to sight one then though.
scallywag2024
Well-Known Member
That’s cool about the day geckos! Must be a new import. How many were living together ?
They imported seven geckoes in total so far. At least two are now on-show.
A nice BTS look at Melbourne's Frog Breeding facility:
Inside Melbourne Zoo's rare frog breeding facility
Inside Melbourne Zoo's rare frog breeding facility
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
I still believe this and the new dragon breeding building should eventually be rebuilt as a permanent extension of the Reptile House to house both expanded breeding facilities and expanded display exhibits.
I agree. The Canberra grassland earless dragon breeding programme is a four year project according to this source; but if they cease breeding them after that point, then there’s no reason they couldn’t allocate the infrastructure to the breeding of the Victorian grassland earless dragon (or other suitable species).
Melbourne Zoo to breed endangered Earless Dragons for ACT in $2 million program | Region Canberra
I think the whole purpose of these specific facilities is for them to be off display; and allows the zoos to accommodate the space specifically to each individual species. It still would be interesting if there was a viewing window into each building - but I wouldn't foresee it being much more than that.
I believe Melbourne do breed their Victorian Grassland Earless Dragons in that same new building too.
