When was the Komodo dragon first scientifically described?

The Komodo dragon was first scientifically described in 1912 by Dutch zoologist Peter Ouwens, based on specimens collected from the island of Komodo in what was then the Dutch East Indies. Ouwens published the species as Varanus komodoensis, establishing it in modern zoological literature. Reports of a giant lizard had circulated earlier, but 1912 is the key date for its formal scientific recognition. The animal later became famous as the world’s largest living lizard, with adults commonly reaching around 2 to 3 meters in length.