Enter the dragons

With razor-sharp teeth and lethally toxic saliva, Komodo dragons are proving quite a crowd-puller at London Zoo.

A breeding pair of the world's largest lizards are the latest arrivals and have swiftly become the main attraction. A lair with a 66ft-long glass screen has been designed to give visitors a close view of the endangered species.

The dragons - mainly found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rintja, Padar and Flores - were brought to the zoo as part of a breeding programme. The species is under threat, with as few as 500 breeding female dragons surviving on Komodo and surrounding islands today.

In the wild, they are capable of hunting and killing prey larger than themselves, including deer, water buffalo and even humans. They can swallow their catch whole.

Sir David Attenborough will today officially open the new dragon lair, which features lush vegetation and a replica of a deer carcass. But, while in London, the creatures will have to make do with a diet of rodents and other meat.