The infamous Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) is notorious for taking down prey with a toxic cocktail of bacteria in it's saliva. The Komodo dragon has an infamous reputation for not only being the largest living lizard, but having such a dirty mouth that anything it bites will surely die of sepsis. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, however, says this may not be the case.
A team of biologists has dissected every aspect of Komodo Dragon prey prehension, from bite strength, jaw movement, and teeth, to the final kill. They studied the bacteria in it's mouth, and took MRIs of the head of a Komodo which died of natural causes. These researchers demonstrated that there are in fact venom glands in the mouths of Komodo Dragons, and that they have a means to deliver that venom to the prey with an ample ability to incapacitate that prey. Furthermore, they claim that the bacteria in the mouths of Komodo Dragons is nothing special compared to that in the mouths of other lizards, and bodies of other animals.
The MRI showed glands capable of holding what they determined to be enough venom to incapacitate even large prey. The chemical makeup of the venom suggests it functions by dropping blood pressure and inducing shock. Indeed when Komodo Dragons bite their prey they stalk them as they get weaker, before ultimately consuming them. The method of venom deposit is thought to be through introduction to the bite wound, as ducts were visible dumping between the teeth.
This discovery is so significant as it is direct evidence that there is so much more to know about even well researched wild life. The Komodo Dragon, which almost everyone knows about for its size and famous saliva, has actually had venom that has only recently been discovered! With huge advances in technology I would expect to see more cool discoveries throughout the flora and fauna of our natural world.
Michael Ball (1)
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ReplyDeleteIts surprising that only recently has it been discovered that Komodo Dragons produce venom as their secrete weapon again prey. With so much research on snakes with respect to their venomous bite I would have thought that the Komodo Dragon being a reptile would have had similar testing done on its use against prey. With this in mind i too would like to know what other discoveries there are to be found inn our natural world.
ReplyDeletePosted by Marshall Moini (2)
I agree, its really surprising that only now its being discovered that Komodo Dragons produce venom as their weapon against prey. Has there been any other recent discoveries on other wildlife and their weapons against prey?
ReplyDeleteGabrielle Wertheim (3)
Did you find any more information on the venom? I would be interested if it mimics blood-pressure medication since you mentioned it induces shock that way.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Starrett(3)
I think the discovery that Komodo Dragons are venomous officially makes them the most intimidating animals on Earth. They're a fascinating species so it's interesting to learn new insights about their predatory behaviors. Do you know how deadly their venom is compared to other venomous organisms?
ReplyDeletePosted by Poya Jafari (2)
All of what I know about the venom is in the article I linked. It does function by causing hypo-tension, though I am not sure if it does so in the way that something like nitroglycerin does.
ReplyDeleteMike
And here I always thought it was all the bacteria in their mouth that would eventually lead to the victims death. Was there anything on the structure of the venom and if it is venom created from eating something particular?
ReplyDeleteSunni-Lynn Farias (1)
I do not believe the venom was derived from the animals diet.
ReplyDeleteMike