They're cold blooded, meaning they're basically completely paralyzed for about 12 hours a day. Until 10am or so you can basically sit on them for a photo op if you want.

You've tried it personally or you just presume it? I've seen them only in ZOOs, but according to AccuWeather night temperature on Komodo islands right now is just a few degrees below the daily max (27^C at 5am is the min. and maxes at 30^C at 2pm). My leopard gecko is fully active on lower temperatures than that...

I was there in 2015. I didn’t actually sit on one, but we got right up next to them for pictures. The park rangers just poke each one with a stick first to make sure it doesn’t move. But yeah you could pet them and everything.

Then in the afternoon they start running around and the rangers use the sticks to keep them away.

Fantastic, thanks for that info!

Apparently it's a myth that Komodo dragons kill prey with deadly bacteria from their bite: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06...

Interesting, thanks for the link, I've heard sepsis theory many times before, this is the first time I hear about them having actual venom glands. Anyhow "toxins that lower blood pressure, cause massive bleeding, prevent clotting and induce shock" sound even scarier than bacteria to me.