What is the strength of the largest lizard in the world? Today, I will take you to reveal the largest lizard in the existing world, behind the "myth" by people, is there really a strength to exist?
Komodo dragon appearance.
Komodo dragonsAlso known as the peopleKomodo Dragons, named after its resemblance to a Western ancient dragon.
This species is mainly found in grasslands and forests in Indonesia, but it also moves in other areas and prefers open areas.
Red is the historical distribution, and green is the existing distribution.
But Komodo dragons are not really native lizards, and studies have shown that they are in15 million yearsI used to drift from a small island in Australia.
At that time, the Komodo dragon belonged to the genus of monitor lizards, and due to changes in the environment, all other monitor lizards disappeared, leaving only one species of Komodo dragon, which can be seenViabilityAbsolutely.
Comparison of the size of ancient monitor lizards with humans.
The Komodo dragon is also the largest lizard in existence, with a body length of about one2 to 3 metersThe males weigh between 80 and 91 kilograms and the females weigh between 68 and 73 kilograms.
This is equivalent to some small and medium-aged pigs fed in the countryside, and the world's largest Komodo dragon is more than 3 meters long and weighs about 166 kilograms, which is simply "stronger" than pigs.
Komodo dragons are solitary animals and only gather together when they eat.
Komodo dragons
Because once they have been together for too long, it is easy to have cannibalism, which is very common in groups of this species.
For example, in a season when food is scarceCubsIt has become an excellent ration for adults, and although the biological mother will not eat it, it will inevitably be coveted by other adults.
The Komodo dragon usually looks like an "honest man", so much so that many people will question its strength, but I can tell you very clearly that the "myth" of the Komodo dragon is not blown out.
Komodo dragons
First of all, although Komodo dragons are terrestrial creatures, they will also lurk in the water to hunt when necessary, and they can lurk at a depth of about 5 meters, which can adapt to most freshwater waters.
Komodo dragons not only dive, but alsoUp the tree, which perpetuates the lizard speciesUnique tree-climbing skills, using strong claws, slowly climbs high trees, and is very steady.
So, when facing Komodo dragons, don't think that you are safe in the trees, and when the time comes, you will often push yourself into a corner.
Komodo dragons are very good at climbing trees.
However, it is worth mentioning that juvenile and adult Komodo dragons have the ability to climb trees, and in old age they have lost the ability to climb trees due to the evolution of sharper and longer claws.
Don't look at their bodies as heavy, when necessary, theirSpeedHowever, it can reach 20 kilometers per hour, compared to 10 kilometers per hour for human speeds.
It can be said that in addition to flying into the sky, Komodo dragons can basically do anything, from the treetops to the bottom of the water, they shuttle freely, how can such an all-powerful species not be strong?
Komodo dragons
It's no wonder that the Komodo dragons have survived the tide of history to this day, and they are quite powerful.
Of course, their power is much more than that, scientists have found that theirSalivaIt's all toxic.
Previously, it was believed that the Komodo dragon's virulence came from bacteria in their saliva, causing the bite wound of its prey to decay quickly and eventually die.
But in fact, in addition to bacteria, there is another cause.
In 2009, scientists collected many samples from the head of a dead Komodo dragon, including secretionsGlands of saliva, and specifically tested for toxicity.
MRI 3D image of a monitor lizard's head.
Scientists found its toxic protein in it, and after experiments, it was found that the toxic protein is the poisonous ** of the Komodo dragon, which has paralysis,Clotting blood, lowering blood pressure, and inducing hypothermiaand other features.
Blood clotting will surely lead to death.
This made scientists a little incredulous, after all, they had seen countless deadly venoms, but still rarely seen such a comprehensive toxin.
Admittedly, there are some causes of bacteria in saliva, but this combination of toxins makes the scalp tingle, and it is difficult to treat an overdose of poisoning.
Statistics show that in 2010, there were about 12 people who were incomprehensibleThe toxin of the Modo dragonDeath.
Komodo dragons are not easy to mess with.
When hunting prey, their venom glands mainly secrete a toxin that causes the blood to clot.
Once the prey is bitten, they don't need to "mend the knife" at all, they just need to follow the smell of their toxin and enjoy the decomposing corpse.
However, due to the sensitive snout of the Komodo dragon, a decomposing corpse usually attracts several companions to eat together.
If the prey is big enough, they will not dislike each other, and if there is not enough food to eat, a fight is always inevitable.
They fight in a very comical way, looking like two Komodo dragonsHugged each otherIn fact, this is a means for both parties to want to bite each other.
It's not about showing love for each other.
Once the other party falls, it is likely to become a "meal on the plate" for many monitor lizards.
Komodo dragons bury their food in the soil to eat it next time, but it is difficult for them to eat "leftovers" because the food buried in the soil is likely to be dug up by other members of the same kind.
Komodo dragons in their later years are more usedTalonsAttacking the opponent, the powerful claws can instantly penetrate deep into the bones of the buffalo, and the lethality is terrifying.
If you think that Komodo dragons are just very powerful in attack, you are very wrong, they also have natural defenses.
The outer skin of the Komodo dragon is one layerNatural chain mail, like armor woven with layers of steel wire mesh, can resist the chopping of sharp objects, and the density is very high.
The Komodo dragon crawled out of the air.
In a fight with large prey, they are likely to "break bones", but they will never "break their defenses".
This "soft" and tough skin is comparable to crocodile skin.
Therefore, when facing the Komodo dragon, everyone can rest assured that you can put down the knife in your hand, because it has no effect, but will become a "stumbling block" on the way to escape.
And give, this layer of soft armor of the Komodo dragon can also resist some less powerful onesPistols
In addition, the Komodo dragon has a wide field of vision and a very keen eye, which can capture information from up to 300 meters away and accurately feed it back to the brain.
The only downside is that Komodo dragons may not have very good ears, and a robust Komodo dragon has the same hearing as the elderly in human society.
Komodo dragons are not small.
But it doesn't hurt, and the sense of sight and smell can completely compensate for the hearing defect.
Overall, the Komodo dragon combines almost all the advantages of most animals, and is a well-deserved top predator in nature, and its strength is convincing.
However, no matter how powerful a species is, it is difficult to survive in the face of human greed.
Even if you are much larger than others, you will still be poisoned.
In the last century, people coveted the hard skin of the Komodo dragonHunt them down on a large scaleFor a time, the wind of trading prevailed.
At the time of the lowest number of Komodo dragons, it was once reduced3000 pcsNo, no.
Since then, poaching has continued to flourish, although Indonesia** has strengthened its protection of the Komodo dragon and established an ecological reserve on the island.
In addition, the Komodo dragon's own reproductive ability is not very strong, and the female lays 4 to 6 eggs at a time, and the survival rate is only about half, resulting in their population to the point of precariousness.
Komodo dragons don't survive easily.
All animals have the right to live in nature, and we cannot affect the survival of species for our own benefit.