
As the largest lizard in the world today, an adult Komodo dragon averages 2 – 3 m in length and can weigh up to approximately 100 kg.
Komodo dragons were first found by Western scientists in 1910. Because they were so impressed with their fierce appearance, the filmmakers took the image of this animal to build the villain. in the famous King Kong movie.
Because the biological features only allow Komodo to live in Indonesia, we cannot find this precious animal anywhere on Earth. According to research, Komodo dragons are closely related to dinosaurs th at went extinct millions of years ago.
Komodo dragons are such ferocious hunters that they can eat very large prey, such as large water buffalo, deer, pigs, and even humans. They can also eat smaller fellow dragons. The jaws of this animal are so strong that it can chew both the bones of its prey and the stomach easily “bulges” to hold food up to 80% of its body weight.
In the lizard family, Komodo dragons are also the fastest species with a speed of up to 20 km / h when running.
However, the way Komodo dragons hunt is what makes researchers controversial. For decades, scientists believed that the bites of Komodo dragons would cause their prey to collapse from infection by dirt and bacteria contained in the hunter’s saliva.
Only in 2005, this mystery was deciphered. It turns out that like its lizard relative, the Komodo dragon also possesses its own venom.
This poison will prevent the prey from having the ability to clot, causing nerve paralysis, causing the prey to quickly lose blood and shock and then die. This helps Komodo dragons not feed to spend much chasing, both reducing risk and also saving physical strength.
Just like in the clip, after approaching the water buffalo, the Komodo dragon uses sharp serrated teeth to bite the prey’s leg. Over time, the poison causes the buffalo to lose blood and weaken its body. When there is no more resistance, the buffalo will naturally become a delicious piece of food for the hungry Komodo dragons.
Normally after enjoying a “hearty” meal like this, the Komodo dragons will not need to eat anything else for the next month.