- Infected with so many bacteria bites can be deadly
- Bacteria spread from dragon to dragon
- Prey that escape one dragon spread poison to others
By Rob Waugh
|
The unlikely secret of the incredible killing power of the Komodo Dragon has finally been revealed - as poor dental hygiene
The unlikely secret of the incredible killing power of the Komodo Dragon has finally been revealed - as poor dental hygiene.
The Komodo is the world's largest lizard, and can grow to 9ft long.
On the five small Eastern Indonesian islands it is found, the lizards can kill animals far larger than themselves, including water buffalo, pigs and Timor deer.
Researchers now believe one of the keys to their killing ability is down to infectious bacteria in their saliva, which can kill prey.
However, the researchers now believe that the bacteria actually spreads from lizard to lizard as well, making the entire community more lethal as their bacteria spread to each other.
‘The model proposes that bacteria spread epidemically among lizard mouths via prey that escape an initial attack,’ say the researchers from the University of Texas. ‘Escaping, infected prey thus serve as vectors to spread the infection among lizard m ouths.’
Researcher found that on average 58 species of bacteria were present in Komodo saliva, 93% of which are classified as potentially pathogenic.
They even found one species, called Pastuerella multocida, killed mice injected with Komodo dragon saliva containing it.
They now believe the key to the bacteria spreading is the communal feeding on large dead animals, where dragons pass bacteria to each other through the meat, or through animals that are not killed outright during attacks but then are eaten by another dragon.
Researcher found that on average 58 species of bacteria were present in Komodo saliva, 93% of which are classified as potentially pathogenic
‘Dragon life histories prove remarkably consistent with the model, especially that multiple, unrelated lizards feed communally on large carcasses and that escaping, wounded prey are ultimately fed on by other lizards,’ the team said.
They now plan to study the spread of the different bacteria through the dragon communities.
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