Komodo Dragon Teeth: All Facts And Myths You Should Know
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The Komodo dragon also known as Varanus komodoensis, native to Indonesia, has a very unique anatomy and is the largest living lizard in the world.
These mighty lizards are known to feed on prey that is larger than them like water buffalo or deer. The Komodo dragon also known as Varanus is one of the most fascinating reptiles in the world, and there are a lot of myths about the dragon’s deadly mouth and ability to smell.
The Komodo dragons have been the subject of scientists' curiosity for a very long time. It is a scientific wonder of how this mighty and scary lizard is able to tear through large animals with its teeth and many studies have been published by scientists on the topic.
Most wild lizards feed on plants but the Komodo dragons are carnivorous in nature and mainly survive on a carrion diet. Komodo dragons are capable of ambushing large prey with their claws and teeth.
Studies have revealed that the Komodo dragons employ a stealthy approach when hunting animals for food, they use their sharp teeth and long claws to attack their prey.
If the reptile is not successful in killing the prey with its initial attack, the dragon follows the injured animal for miles and miles until it succumbs to blood loss or infection of the wound caused by its saliva.
The Komodo dragon's saliva contains a number of bacterias that can cause a deadly infection in their prey’s bodies.
The decomposing smell of animals attracts the Komodo dragons and they often feed on dead and decomposing animal bodies. The larger adult male Komodo dragons feast on the food first and are then followed by the younger and weaker males and females, and finally the young baby Komodo dragons eat whatever is left.
Stick till the end to unravel some amazing facts about the Komodo dragon’s teeth anatomy. Are Komodo dragon teeth hidden?
What is komodo dragon teeth size?
Read on to find the answers. Afterward, do check about duck teeth and hamster teeth.
Do komodo dragons have teeth?
If you have ever seen a picture of the Komodo dragon from Indonesia’s Komodo island or have watched it catch prey on television, you may have noticed that it appears as if they have no teeth! This may have led you to wonder, how do they tear their prey apart without any sharp teeth?
The Komodo dragons do have teeth, which are quite sharp. The large reptiles have as many as 60 sharp teeth which are hidden in their venomous ducts.
The Komodo dragon’s dental anatomy is one of the rarest on the planet, and there is no other reptile like it. The simple answer to the question of do Komodo dragons have teeth is yes, they do have razor-sharp teeth, but their dental anatomy is much more complicated than that.
How long are their teeth?
Now that we know that the Komodo dragons do have teeth, you may be curious to know how long their teeth are which enables them to tear through the flesh of larger animals like buffalo and deer and make them an unrivaled predator in the wild.
As per science reports, the Komodo dragon species have serrated teeth with a forked tongue. These reptiles regularly lose their teeth due to constant wear and tear but have the ability to regrow their teeth as evolutionary survival.
Their teeth can grow up to 1 in ( 2.54 cm). The dragon’s teeth length keeps differing throughout their lives due to the constant wearing down of their teeth by feeding on flesh.
How many teeth do komodo dragons have?
Now that we’ve understood how deadly these scary reptiles can be in their habitat, the question that remains is - how many teeth do these dragons have in total?
As per science reports, the Komodo dragon species has about 60 sharp teeth in its mouth. Their teeth are surrounded by fang-like ducts which secrete venomous proteins and bacteria that can be deadly for its prey, it is due to these ducts that we are not able to see the dragon’s teeth while observing from the outside.
The teeth however are not retractable in nature and stay fixed in one position. A Komodo dragon can go through as many as six sets of teeth in its lifetime.
The habitat of this animal with venom is on the Komodo Island in Indonesia. They use bacteria as a venom, which makes them a threat to reptiles and mammals present in their habitat.
Their prey will die within a few hours of the venom being injected into their body. In order to earn mating rights, males engage in aggressive fighting. The winner male then links with the female and engages in the mating process.
Dental Anatomy Of Komodo Dragon
The komodo dragons have a very unique dental anatomy that is unlike any other reptile on the planet. Let us take a deeper and more detailed look at the Komodo dragon’s dental anatomy.
The Komodo dragon, also popularly known as the giant monitor lizard in Australia, is a true native of the Komodo island and Flores island of Indonesia. The dragon possesses about 60 large razor-sharp teeth in total, deeply fixated in its jaws.
Their set of teeth consists of seven premaxillary teeth, 13 teeth fixated on each maxilla of the mouth, and 12 teeth situated on each dentary. The teeth are extremely sharp and conical shaped, with serrated edges, and can grow up to whooping lengths of 1 in (2.54 cm).
The teeth of the Komodo dragons are not visible because they are thickly sheathed by gum tissues while only exposing the sharp ends.
Lizards belonging to the category of monitor lizards have replacement teeth in case of loss or damage of the teeth, the number of these replacement teeth is generally one or two but this is not the case with Komodo dragons.
There can be as many as six developing replacement teeth around each functional tooth of the Komodo dragon which means that the replacement process is very fast, much faster than in any other reptile.
There have been very few cases of Komodo dragons killing humans in the wild as well as at conservation parks as they rarely ever attack humans. There have been only three fatalities to date reported by the news. If you’re wondering if a Komodo dragon’s bite can kill you, we have an answer for you.
A Komodo dragon’s bite can be quite dangerous and can inflict a lot of damage.
But even if the bite is not fatal on its own, the saliva from the Komodo dragon's mouth is toxic.
The venom of the Komodo dragon consists of about 50 dangerous bacterias that can infect the wound and kill you, although the attacks of a Komodo dragon on humans have been very rare and fatalities are even rarer, a Komodo dragon can kill you in the wild.
There is no antidote for the venom secreted by the Komodo dragon due to its complex nature.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Komodo dragon teeth then why not take a look at beaver teeth or Komodo dragon facts.
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Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.
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