Deadly bite Komodo dragon

17juni2009
Source: depers.nl
Up till now it was assumed that prey of the Komodo dragon died after different kinds of bacteria from the lizard's mouth ended up in the victim after a bite. An Australian researcher discovered that these lizards do indeed have poisonous glands.
He discovered this by removing and studying the glands of a Komodo dragon that was fatally ill. The gland contained a high dose of toxins that turn the prey into shock. The venom causes the blood of the prey to flow more rapidly and works as an anticoagulant. Other effects caused by the venom are cramps and hypothermia. When the prey is too large for the lizard to conquer at once, the poison will weaken the prey considerable and will kill the prey within one or two days. The Komodo dragon uses its keen nose to follow the prey. When the prey dies, the lizard can start its meal.
Komodo dragons can grow to a length of three meters. The species is threatened with extinction and inhabits only a few islands in Indonesia. When people are bitten by a Komodo dragon, they need medication within one or two hours, in order to survive.