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Given the choice, I'd take a Komodo dragon over a crocodile any day. They're large for a lizard, but much smaller and less murderous than crocs, and generally

Given the choice, I'd take a Komodo dragon over a crocodile any day. They're large for a lizard, but much smaller and less murderous than crocs, and generally not an active threat to adult humans.

eximius 8y ago
I feel like that just wouldn't be true given that just a scratch from a bite from a Komodo can be deadly - or so I've been lead to believe. What are you basing this on?
- darkpuma 8y ago
  Komodo dragons having filthy saliva that causes deadly infections is a myth. In actual fact they have venomous saliva, which functions as an anti-coagulant (whether it counts as a venom seems to be disputed, but the anti-coagulant properties of the saliva one way or the other seem to be established fact.) They kill by inflicting massive bleeding[1][2]. Related to the bacteria/saliva myth are misconceptions on how they hunt. They often eat their prey alive in a very brutal manner[3], rather than biting them once then hanging back for their prey to die. They also have exceptional endurance by reptile standards. Crocodilians are known for very rapid burst speed, but monitor lizards and particularly Komodo dragons can chase prey at very high speeds for much longer than you'd expect[4]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Saliva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Saliva [2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06/27/the-myth-of-the-komodo-dragons-dirty-mouth/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06... [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrg9hYjW8ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrg9hYjW8ts [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16-IrBIscI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16-IrBIscI
- Defenestresque 8y ago
  >just a scratch from a bite from a Komodo can be deadly That's incorrect. >In 1969, Walter Auffenberg came along and made his detailed study of Komodo dragon behaviour. He made two critical observations: >1) Komodo dragons can kill large prey, occasionally even buffalo, outright. >2) buffalo that escape a Komodo dragon attack often die of infection. >Auffenberg, based on the second observation, hypothesized that the dragon had septic saliva and used it to kill large prey slowly over days or weeks, even though his own published field observations contradicted this. The public caught wind of this idea, and the myth of the Komodo dragon as a slow killer with a virulent bacterial brew was born. >Then, in the 21st century, Dr. Bryan Fry discovered the presence of modified salivary glands in the dragon's lower jaw. The compound produced by these glands proved to be a potent anticoagulant. >Dr. Fry believed that this substance was venom, since many types of snake venom also cause uncontrollable bleeding. He also recognized that Komodo dragons kill prey quickly rather than over a long time, since he actually observed these animals hunting. Unfortunately, the press totally missed that last bit, so the myth lived on in modified form, with venom replacing bacteria. >The original venom hypothesis has come under fire recently (Hargreaves et al, 2015), and many scientists now believe the anticoagulant is a digestive enzyme. There are many reasons to indicate that venom doesn't play a role when killing prey, which certainly fits with the observations of Komodo dragons killing prey violently and swiftly. >In 2013, another study revealed that there was no septic bacteria in the Komodo dragon's maw. In fact, it has a cleaner mouth than most mammals due to constantly replacing its teeth, leaving no chance for trapped food to rot and fester before they fall out along with the dentition. >It is a fact that Komodo dragons do not wait for prey to die, even though this myth is still being presented as true by pop culture. What really happens in these cases is something else entirely: prey escapes, gets infected, dies, and is eaten by a dragon (possibly the same one if it happens to be nearby). There is never any intent by the dragon to kill its prey in this way. They try to kill quickly, in some cases even near-instantaneously, and usually in just a few minutes. [0] https://imgur.com/gallery/RUeB9 https://imgur.com/gallery/RUeB9 [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/b8joz9/komodo_island_is_reportedly_closing_until_2020/ejyd1uu/ https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/b8joz9/komodo_island_...
celticninja 8y ago
>generally not an active threat to adult humans. Unless say,you were trying to put one in a bag. Also they don't need to hang on to you to kill you like a croc does.
ivanhoe 8y ago
And can cause you a deadly blood poisoning if you get bitten because of bacteria in their mouth and saliva...
- Alex3917 8y ago
  They're cold blooded, meaning they're basically completely paralyzed for about 12 hours a day. Until 10am or so you can basically sit on them for a photo op if you want.
  - ivanhoe 8y ago
    You've tried it personally or you just presume it? I've seen them only in ZOOs, but according to AccuWeather night temperature on Komodo islands right now is just a few degrees below the daily max (27^C at 5am is the min. and maxes at 30^C at 2pm). My leopard gecko is fully active on lower temperatures than that...
    - Alex3917 8y ago
      I was there in 2015. I didn’t actually sit on one, but we got right up next to them for pictures. The park rangers just poke each one with a stick first to make sure it doesn’t move. But yeah you could pet them and everything. Then in the afternoon they start running around and the rangers use the sticks to keep them away.
      - ivanhoe 8y ago
        Fantastic, thanks for that info!
- kens 8y ago
  Apparently it's a myth that Komodo dragons kill prey with deadly bacteria from their bite: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06/27/the-myth-of-the-komodo-dragons-dirty-mouth/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06...
Defenestresque 8y ago
Check out this video of a Komodo dragon eating a monkey whole [0] or this video of a Komodo dragon killing a deer by ripping open its jugular [1] I'll be honest, they are pretty fucking murderous [3] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxRAcBYhKE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxRAcBYhKE [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf45e9J-GMA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf45e9J-GMA [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBiLXp5Uj8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBiLXp5Uj8
- chess93 8y ago
  Can someone explain how it is physically possible for them to eat a monkey whole? That's probably the craziest video I've seen in a while.
  - avs733 8y ago
    I'm guessing nothing has the confidence to tell something that is capable of eating a monkey whole that it can't eat a monkey whole.
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  Incredible, I had no idea.
- switch007 8y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Diet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Diet > ...swallowing is still a long process (15–20 minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully, the tree is knocked down Jesus, they're mental.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- toufiqbarhamov 8y ago
  That was... impressive. Those dragons really are impressive killing and eating machines, and people who want to own one are out of their tiny minds.
rlonn 8y ago
There are 23 species of crocs and some are smaller than Komodo dragons. Temperaments vary quite a lot between species also, with crocs from the alligator side of the family considered to be "easier", though they're all crocs so everything is relative.

Given the choice, I'd take a Komodo dragon over a crocodile any day. They're large for a lizard, but much smaller and less murderous than crocs, and generally not an active threat to adult humans.

eximius 8y ago

I feel like that just wouldn't be true given that just a scratch from a bite from a Komodo can be deadly - or so I've been lead to believe. What are you basing this on?

darkpuma 8y ago
Komodo dragons having filthy saliva that causes deadly infections is a myth. In actual fact they have venomous saliva, which functions as an anti-coagulant (whether it counts as a venom seems to be disputed, but the anti-coagulant properties of the saliva one way or the other seem to be established fact.) They kill by inflicting massive bleeding[1][2]. Related to the bacteria/saliva myth are misconceptions on how they hunt. They often eat their prey alive in a very brutal manner[3], rather than biting them once then hanging back for their prey to die. They also have exceptional endurance by reptile standards. Crocodilians are known for very rapid burst speed, but monitor lizards and particularly Komodo dragons can chase prey at very high speeds for much longer than you'd expect[4]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Saliva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Saliva [2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06/27/the-myth-of-the-komodo-dragons-dirty-mouth/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06... [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrg9hYjW8ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrg9hYjW8ts [4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16-IrBIscI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O16-IrBIscI
Defenestresque 8y ago
>just a scratch from a bite from a Komodo can be deadly That's incorrect. >In 1969, Walter Auffenberg came along and made his detailed study of Komodo dragon behaviour. He made two critical observations: >1) Komodo dragons can kill large prey, occasionally even buffalo, outright. >2) buffalo that escape a Komodo dragon attack often die of infection. >Auffenberg, based on the second observation, hypothesized that the dragon had septic saliva and used it to kill large prey slowly over days or weeks, even though his own published field observations contradicted this. The public caught wind of this idea, and the myth of the Komodo dragon as a slow killer with a virulent bacterial brew was born. >Then, in the 21st century, Dr. Bryan Fry discovered the presence of modified salivary glands in the dragon's lower jaw. The compound produced by these glands proved to be a potent anticoagulant. >Dr. Fry believed that this substance was venom, since many types of snake venom also cause uncontrollable bleeding. He also recognized that Komodo dragons kill prey quickly rather than over a long time, since he actually observed these animals hunting. Unfortunately, the press totally missed that last bit, so the myth lived on in modified form, with venom replacing bacteria. >The original venom hypothesis has come under fire recently (Hargreaves et al, 2015), and many scientists now believe the anticoagulant is a digestive enzyme. There are many reasons to indicate that venom doesn't play a role when killing prey, which certainly fits with the observations of Komodo dragons killing prey violently and swiftly. >In 2013, another study revealed that there was no septic bacteria in the Komodo dragon's maw. In fact, it has a cleaner mouth than most mammals due to constantly replacing its teeth, leaving no chance for trapped food to rot and fester before they fall out along with the dentition. >It is a fact that Komodo dragons do not wait for prey to die, even though this myth is still being presented as true by pop culture. What really happens in these cases is something else entirely: prey escapes, gets infected, dies, and is eaten by a dragon (possibly the same one if it happens to be nearby). There is never any intent by the dragon to kill its prey in this way. They try to kill quickly, in some cases even near-instantaneously, and usually in just a few minutes. [0] https://imgur.com/gallery/RUeB9 https://imgur.com/gallery/RUeB9 [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/b8joz9/komodo_island_is_reportedly_closing_until_2020/ejyd1uu/ https://old.reddit.com/r/news/comments/b8joz9/komodo_island_...

celticninja 8y ago

>generally not an active threat to adult humans. Unless say,you were trying to put one in a bag. Also they don't need to hang on to you to kill you like a croc does.

ivanhoe 8y ago

And can cause you a deadly blood poisoning if you get bitten because of bacteria in their mouth and saliva...

Alex3917 8y ago
They're cold blooded, meaning they're basically completely paralyzed for about 12 hours a day. Until 10am or so you can basically sit on them for a photo op if you want.
- ivanhoe 8y ago
  You've tried it personally or you just presume it? I've seen them only in ZOOs, but according to AccuWeather night temperature on Komodo islands right now is just a few degrees below the daily max (27^C at 5am is the min. and maxes at 30^C at 2pm). My leopard gecko is fully active on lower temperatures than that...
  - Alex3917 8y ago
    I was there in 2015. I didn’t actually sit on one, but we got right up next to them for pictures. The park rangers just poke each one with a stick first to make sure it doesn’t move. But yeah you could pet them and everything. Then in the afternoon they start running around and the rangers use the sticks to keep them away.
    - ivanhoe 8y ago
      Fantastic, thanks for that info!
kens 8y ago
Apparently it's a myth that Komodo dragons kill prey with deadly bacteria from their bite: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06/27/the-myth-of-the-komodo-dragons-dirty-mouth/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/06...

Defenestresque 8y ago

Check out this video of a Komodo dragon eating a monkey whole [0] or this video of a Komodo dragon killing a deer by ripping open its jugular [1] I'll be honest, they are pretty fucking murderous [3] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxRAcBYhKE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLxRAcBYhKE [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf45e9J-GMA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf45e9J-GMA [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBiLXp5Uj8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPBiLXp5Uj8

chess93 8y ago
Can someone explain how it is physically possible for them to eat a monkey whole? That's probably the craziest video I've seen in a while.
- avs733 8y ago
  I'm guessing nothing has the confidence to tell something that is capable of eating a monkey whole that it can't eat a monkey whole.
newnewpdro 8y ago
Incredible, I had no idea.
switch007 8y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Diet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon#Diet > ...swallowing is still a long process (15–20 minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully, the tree is knocked down Jesus, they're mental.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
toufiqbarhamov 8y ago
That was... impressive. Those dragons really are impressive killing and eating machines, and people who want to own one are out of their tiny minds.

rlonn 8y ago

There are 23 species of crocs and some are smaller than Komodo dragons. Temperaments vary quite a lot between species also, with crocs from the alligator side of the family considered to be "easier", though they're all crocs so everything is relative.