A BBC article describes the discovery of poison glands in Komodo Dragons, which explains some of their effectiveness as predators. I had heard the rumors/belief that Komodo Dragons could cause bacterial infections with their bites, but the discovery of the venom glands seems to make more sense than a consistent virulent bacteria that exists in the mouths of all individuals in a species. What I further find interesting is the biting capacity of the Komodo Dragons. For their size it is relatively weak, but with the addition of the venom, and a vice like grip that is hard to convince to let go, the Dragons do not really require bone crushing jaws.
Venom/Poison have long interested me, and I think proving that such a large predator like a Komodo Dragon uses venom, raises a lot of questions in regards to predatory evolution. Really it is fascinating stuff.
