Bacteria aren't the only source of Komodo bite danger

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090519/sc_afp/scienceanimalkomodoaustralia_20090519073836

As if the bacteria, teeth and claws weren't enough.

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Induces a drop in blood-pressure, I see...very interesting news for people with hypertension. I wonder if the venom could be altered or worked on in such a way to remove its more lethal side-effects and produce a panacea for high blood pressure? A silver lining, maybe...?

 

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Quite possibly. But the article doesn't say if it's a different type of venom than what is in other reptiles and insects.

As dangerous as those things are, they are one of my favorite reptiles. Those, crocs and the Galapagos turtles/tortoses are the closest link IMO we have to dinosaurs.

 

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Some of the most interesting research in medicine is being done with venom.

Another example is: the venom of the Heloderma Suspectum has the ability to cure diabetes if we can ever understand how it works. Research on that has been going on for years.

Another: the Conus Geographus has venom that contains the strongest painkiller known to man. Work is being done on that.

I assume you didn't know about venom research? If not that's a nice bit of insight on your part Xylene.

 

Awesome. Thanks Mike !

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I thought the closest thing to dinosaurs were birds! Dinosaurs were not reptiles.

 

All of them? I know what you're saying, but I shudder to think such creatures as a stegosauras, a brontosaurus and a triceratops were birds.

 

Yep, biologically closer to chickens than 'gators, Mikey.

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I just think komodo dragons are beautiful though.

 

Actually, it seems they are still debating that...
http://www.paleontology.esmartstudent.com/dinosaurs.html

However, I see what you're saying; as there is also debate about them being warm-blooded.

Dinosaurs being more closely related to birds than reptiles is kinda like bears being more closely related to rodents than canines.

 

Yeah, I'm not a dinosaur expert, so I'll shut up. ;-)

 

Me neither. That's why I'm trying to keep my comments objective.

 

Goddamn, Mike. Where have all the paleontologists gone?

Or just a venomologist would do some good. I'm really curious why the Komodo would even need venom like this, as strong as they are and being so vile and toxic as they are without it?

 

Simple. They cannot sustain high activity for a long time. Overall they tend to be too slow to overpower and kill prey effectively. Poisoning them and then wait until they die appears to be more energy-efficient. It is a similar strategy as employed by the gila monster (pretty stupid name, if you ask me).
Ow, and btw. according to cladistic systematics, birds are reptiles, just like dinosaurs.
More precisely: bird evolved from dinosaurs, which evolved from archosaurs, which evolved from reptiles. In other words, the class reptilia encompasses dinosaurs as well as birds. Therefore the statement that birds are more closely related to dinosaurs than reptiles does not make sense as both fall under the class of reptiles.

What you may mean, however is that birds are more closely related to dinosaurs than, e.g. turtles (which belong to the Testudines). In fact, bird are the last descendants of the dinosaurs, so to speak.

 

Thanks, Charon!

 

Wait a minute. How do you mean they are too slow? They can run down a human. They can run over 12 mph in short bursts.

Good way of putting it.

 

But humans are capable of running at that pace for miles.

 

What does that have to do with komodos being able to run down a human over short distances?
Speed and endurance are two different things. You being an mtb DHer of all people should know that.

 

That is actually the point. The can in a burst run towards the prey and bite it, but it will cost a lot of energy for them to prevail in an extended fight, given their overall rather sluggish metabolism. If the prey struggles free they will not be in a position to chase them down. Just consider them to be energy efficient.
Actually an interesting counter-example are cheetahs. Extremely fast but they only got a window of a couple of minutes to chase down their prey (for comodo warans it is probably even less). However if they were poisonous they need just a good bite in the ankles and wait till they die (and they need the olfactory senses of a waran to find the carcass).

 

It costs humans quite a bit of energy going in short bursts too.

MARATHON runners who train for years might be able to keep up that pace, but most humans cannot. See how long you can sprint for, before you keel over from exhaustion.

Yeah but I doubt cheetahs have the sluggish metabolism that Komodos do, and the cheetah scenario more correlates with humans than komodos.
Although I do see what you're saying. My point was that they can run down a human.

 

Yes possibly. But of course it does not real matter as human are not the primary prey. But even if they were they will have additional problems. Due to their gait they have problems changing directions rapidly. So they can make a quick burst in a straight line to catch up with you, but if you are somewhat nimble you can avoid consecutive attacks and run away. You do not really need to be a extraordinary sportsman to outrun them. What I meant in the example is that they only have a short window in which to overpower their prey. This does not mean that they cannot actually kill of course. Only apparently in the long run poisoning appeared to be overall more effective. But I assume we are just exchanging ideas here a bit.