This Komodo dragon doesn't kill with pure force like a crocodile, but with a lethal duo of toxins and razor-sharp teeth.
They discovered it was similar to other well-studied venoms, such as some snake venom. While not lethal, venoms with similar 'fingerprints' are known to induce shock, lower blood pressure and stop blood from clotting – exactly the symptoms seen in bite victims.
Fry believes it's the lethal duo of shock-inducing toxins and razor-sharp teeth that allows Komodo dragons to slay large animals. They attack with a series of quick bites, slashing the flesh and releasing venom into the wounds, he said. Unable to clot, the wounds bleed profusely. Weakening with each bite, the animal is soon a struggle-free dinner.
"[This study has] convincingly demonstrated that the utilisation of septicaemic bacteria is a pure myth," said evolutionary biologist Nicolas Vidal, from the French National Museum of Natural History, in Paris.
"Although the production of venom by the Komodo dragon is not surprising... the complexity of its glands is amazing," added Vidal, who noted that local people who deal with Komodo dragons in Indonesia already thought the species to be venomous.
