The most virulent species found in Komodo dragon saliva are Pasteurella multocida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. coli take advantage of this property, inflicting gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and neonatal meningitis upon immunocompromised prey animals. It also means that the bacterium contains two bilayers, an inner one and an outer one that can be very toxic to predators. This means 10% of its cell wall consists of peptidoglycan, the structural polysaccharide that gives structure to most prokaryotic cells. coli possesses a Gram-negative cell wall. coli grows best at 37 degrees Celsius (9), though it can survive for prolonged periods at a wide variety of temperatures. This produces lactate, succinate, ethanol, acetate, carbon dioxide, and sometimes hydrogen gas. They can also survive on a wide variety of substrates, breaking down nutrients via mixed-acid fermentation when oxygen is absent. Cells are typically rod-shaped and are about 2 micrometres (μm) long and 0.5 μm in diameter, with a cell volume of 0.6 – 0.7 μm 3 (8). coli is Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic and non-sporulating. It is the primary facultative anaerobe of the human gastrointestinal tract, and is important to the Komodo dragon as well. coli can function properly with or without oxygen. Using pili, the bacterium adheres to the mucus that lines the walls of the large intestine. Most strains are harmless, essential for the proper digestion of food. coli usually inhabits the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms, but strains of this species have been found elsewhere in a wide variety of environments. Its genome has been completely sequenced many times, and is the model bacterium for Western science. Komodo dragons have long, forked tongues that they use to help smell and taste.Įscherischia coli is, perhaps, the best-described bacterium in the Komodo dragon’s arsenal. Komodo dragons also expose themselves to other bacteria in the water, soil, and feces, creating a caustic cocktail that can cripple their prey. In addition, the teeth provide thermally stable surfaces that remain at a constant, optimal 37 degrees Celsius (7). Pieces of meat get caught in between their 60 serrated teeth, feeding the bacteria a reliable source of nutrients. As they devour carrion, they collect bacterial colonies from decaying animal flesh. On top of that, these dragons are born with clean and sterile mouths and are responsible for developing their own bacterial flora (6). However, despite this ectothermy it has a relatively stable core body temperature (5). Its pH is close to neutral, while its temperature varies over the course of the day because the Komodo dragon is ectothermic. The Komodo dragon’s mouth is not unique to the reptile world most reptiles have mouths with similar internal conditions. Life inside a dynamic environment is never easy for the organisms that call it home. Along with illustrating the pathogenic diversity of the Komodo dragon mouth, the study also bolstered the observation that wounds from dragon bites cause septic shock and bacterial infections in prey. Numerous Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus species were present as well. Prominent pathogens found include Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus morgani, and P. Below is a table taken from that study, displaying the species of bacteria extracted from those dragon samples.

Since then, they’ve analyzed the saliva samples and found at least 57 species of bacteria (3). In 19, a group led by Texas businessman Terry Fredeking and biologist Joel Montgomery took blood and saliva samples from 23 wild Komodo dragons and similar samples from 13 captive dragons. The mechanisms that make this feat possible have only been discovered by scientists over the past fifteen years. It can also take down humans, deer, and water buffalo (a large invasive species introduced by humans) many times its size with a single bite. RANGE OF THE KOMODO DRAGON IN INDONESIA (2)Īlthough primarily a scavenger, the Komodo dragon also hunts invertebrates, birds, and mammals.

Komodo dragon keystrokes logger