Uncovering the Mystery behind the Komodo Dragon's Poisonous Bite

Posted by Noelle Montes on Tuesday, May 7, 2024

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Professor Bryan Fry believes the Komodo dragon’s venomous bite is merely a myth. The scientist from the University of Queensland in Australia proved that the deadly bite of a Komodo dragon was not caused by the bacteria contained in the prehistoric reptile’s saliva. 

Along with a team of researchers from the United States, Fry discovered that the bacteria in the Komodo’s mouth did not differ from any other carnivore. Fry’s new findings clash with the preconceived notion of other scientists that believe the bacteria in a Komodo dragon’s saliva was the key to killing its prey. 

Professor Fry said Komodo attacks on pigs and deer were successful, with about 75 per cent bleeding out within 30 minutes and a further 15 per cent dying in three to four hours from venom in the dragons' salivary glands. In contrast, the much larger water buffalo invariably managed to escape from attacks but were left with deep wounds to the legs, from which they later died. 

According to Fry, pathogenic bacteria previously found in Komodo dragons were simply the remnants from when the dragons drank from sewage-filled watering holes. Fry believes that this is what causes serious infection on the prey’s open wounds. The bacterial infection from sewage waters is what slowly kills the prey. 

"The inside of their mouth is also kept extremely clean by the tongue... Unlike people have been led to believe, they do not have chunks of rotting flesh from their meals on their teeth, cultivating bacteria," added Fry.   

The findings from Associate Professor Fry and his colleagues are published in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.  

On the other hand, Achmad Ariefandy, a Komodo researcher from the Komodo Survival Program, regards Fry’s journal as controversial. The research study entitled, "A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus (Megalania) priscus" was actually published in 2009. He questions why Fry’s findings only began to be publicized this year. 

"Fry’s writing is no more than an attempt to seek popularity," he said. 

Achmad regards some of Fry’s research to be incomplete. First, Fry only took saliva samples from a Komodo dragon kept in a zoo. Second, Fry expressed more theory than fact in his journal. Third, the Komodo’s venom mentioned in Fry’s piece is actually just an anti-coagulant. The chemical properties contained in a Komodo dragon’s saliva only produce a shock effect on the prey and is not deadly like a cobra or viper’s venom. 

Arief said the location where the samples are taken would have a huge impact on the results of the research. He revealed that the bacteria contained in a Komodo dragon saliva differs depending on its habitat. A Komodo that lives in the wild and in the zoo will have extremely different bacterial properties in its mouth, he said. As stated in a research study named "Aerobic Salivary Bacteria in Wild and Captive Komodo Dragons" included in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases in 2002, there is only around 17 types of bacteria in the saliva of a Komodo that live in zoos. However, a Komodo in the wild carries over 50 types of bacteria in its mouth. 

In a study using mice as test subjects, the injection of the saliva from a dragon that lives in the wild caused the highest death rate. 

Arief also criticized Fry’s conclusion that the Komodo dragons’ habit of cleaning its mouth after biting into its prey influences the removal of bacteria in its saliva. He believes that bacteria live symbiotically with the Komodo. The bacteria are the life and food source of the komodo. The dragon has an extra "weapon" it can use to kill its prey. 

"The Komodo only wipes its mouth and nose so the bacteria inside it are not eliminated. Instead, they cultivate inits saliva," he said. 

MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI

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