The Komodo dragon, originally from Indonesia, is the largest living lizard in the world, which inhabits the Komodo Island, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Recently, an investigation, carried out by members of King’s College London, revealed the presence of protective layers of iron in the orange pigment found at the tips of the animal’s teeth. This layer of iron on his teeth helps him kill his prey, according to the study published this month.
“This characteristic had never been recorded before in a carnivorous reptile,” said the research, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Huge sarted teeth
The researchers, in addition to finding this type of coating on the teeth of the Komodo dragon, found similar characteristics in those of other living reptiles, such as monitor lizards, crocodiles and alligators.
The study emphasizes that the concentration of iron plays “a key role in the support of the sarted teeth” of the huge lizards, which use them to kill their prey.
These feed on a wide variety of mammals, from rodents to water buffaloes, and kill with a double blow of sharp teeth and poisonous bite.
Scientists believe that iron coating may have existed in carnivorous dinosaurs, although evidence of that has no longer been found in the fossilized teeth of reptiles and dinosaurs.
Preservation
Komodo dragons live in the national park of the same name and on the neighboring island of Flores, in Indonesia.
There are only 3,458 adult and offspring in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A few specimens were also born in captivity in Spain.
Thousands of tourists come every year to the island of Komodo, which is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, and the only place in the world where Komodo dragons can be seen in their natural habitat.
These reptiles, which can reach three meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilos, are threatened by human activity and climate change. For that reason, the preservation of the islands and this large reptile is a priority in the place.