Komodo dragon

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Komodo Dragon's Orange Teeth Hide a Deadly Power
Komodo Dragon's Orange
Teeth Serve Practical Purpose
NEW STUDY

Komodo Dragon's Orange Teeth Serve Practical Purpose

Unprecedented iron coating keeps serrated teeth razor sharp

(Newser) - The Komodo dragon might be the closest thing to a living dinosaur, with its muscular tail, scaly skin, sturdy claws, and, it turns out, razor-sharp teeth unlike any seen before. The largest living lizard has curved, serrated teeth, similar to those of carnivorous dinosaurs, which help to rip apart the...

Dragon Island Bans Tourists
Dragon Island Bans Tourists

Dragon Island Bans Tourists

Poachers have been stealing Komodo dragons

(Newser) - An Indonesian island home to one of the world's most fearsome lizards is banning tourists to help the population recover from poaching. The Indonesian government says Komodo island, home to the Komodo dragon, will be off-limits to tourists starting in Jan. 2020, Tempo reports. The move, which is expected...

Ignored Warnings Led to Komodo Dragon Attack

Tourist had been taking photos and got too close

(Newser) - When traveling to unfamiliar lands, it pays to listen to the locals—especially when you're on the island of Komodo and they're telling you to stay away from the dragons. A 50-year-old Singaporean tourist who failed to heed that advice was severely bitten on the left leg after...

T. Rex Had Vicious Teeth, the Better to Shred You With

This feature is only seen in the Komodo dragon today

(Newser) - The Komodo dragon is the only known creature on the planet today to boast teeth that are serrated, like a jagged-edged steak knife. But now researchers have discovered that the mighty T. rex not only sported serrated teeth, but also secret folds hidden toward the bottom of those teeth that...

Komodo Dragons Use Venom to Kill

(Newser) - Australian scientists have discovered that the world’s largest lizard packs a lethal venom in its bite, the Guardian reports. MRI scans of an ailing Komodo dragon revealed venom glands in the mouth that had never before been documented. The dragons’ poison sends victims into shock by triggering a sudden...

Komodo Dragons Kill Man
 Komodo Dragons Kill Man 

Komodo Dragons Kill Man

Fruit-picker mauled by giant lizards after falling out of tree

(Newser) - A pair of Komodo dragons fatally mauled a fruit-picker in eastern Indonesia, reports AP. The lizards attacked the man after he fell out of a tree on the island of Komodo, according to authorities. Fewer than 4000 of the carnivores remain in the wild, and attacks on humans are rare,...

Treats Banned, Komodo Dragons Get Nasty

Ban on food offerings 'angers' hungry lizards

(Newser) - Komodo dragons in an Indonesian park are increasingly attacking humans, and villagers who share their habitat say environmentalist policies are to blame, reports the Wall Street Journal. Inhabitants of Komodo National Park have traditionally left deer and sheep for the carnivorous lizards, the largest in the world. But new laws...

Lost Divers Fight Off Indonesian Dragon

Europeans pelt lizard with rocks during 36-hour ordeal

(Newser) - European divers battled a Komodo dragon while waiting 36 hours to be rescued from a deserted Indonesian island, CNN reports. The group, which scavenged for shellfish and pelted the giant lizard with rocks, is dehydrated but suffered minor cuts. Asked if the dragons are dangerous, one expert responded, “Of...

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