Feeding Habits Of the Komodo Dragon

Well here is where the terror of this creature really lies. Komodo dragons are of course carnivorous, but little know that they are also cannibalistic. They typically eat large prey such as deer, wild boar, goat; they will basically eat anything they can overpower and this includes smaller lizards (including other Komodo Dragons). As is evident, the Komodo Dragon has a wide range possibility of prey. Evidence from droppings however, show that a few types of prey serve as the main food choice of these lizards. From the droppings, humans are able to observe that the deer is the meal of choice. Boars are also a popular choice. Dragons acquire these animals by two ways: hunting, and finding carcasses.

When the dragons hunt, they do so by method of surprise attack. They usually do so by clearing a small space (big enough for them to fit in ) , where their game is likely to be. Once the prey appears, the Dragons ambush them, and seize them in their powerful jaws. It should also be noted that these dragons typically go for the neck or throat. Afterwards, they fiercely throw their prey on the ground and slash open the prey with their teeth. The prey typically dies with two minutes, and escapes are very rare. Even if they were to escape, it is not likely that they would survive. For, if the dragon had bitten them, they will probably die due to poising, which is due to the fact that dragons saliva contains harmful bacteria.

When a Dragon is eating, it often appears to have red saliva. This is not the case, although there is reason for this. Dragon’s teeth are covered with thick gums, when the dragon is eating; the food pushes the gums back. The gums then start to bleed, and this blood mixes with the dragon’s thick saliva. This thick saliva is very important to the dragon, and it is produced in large amounts to help the food slide down the dragon’s throat. You see, a dragon cannot chew its food, as its teeth are made for cutting. It can however manage to swallow the prey whole. If the prey is very large, it will take a long time to reach the dragon’s throat. Therefore, the dragon breathes by use of a tube. This is a tube that is attached to the base of the tongue and travels directly to the lungs.

The monitor’s are now ready to digest this huge and filling meal. So how does it work? Well the dragons have a very strong stomach acid that digests everything digestible, however things like horns, hair, and teeth are not. However, the dragon does not pass these items through its body, it instead coughs them up. These masses of fur and other useless parts are called a gastric pellet, and they are covered in slime, mucus slime. This pellet smells horrid, enough so that even the dragons hate it. They will typically rub their face after coughing one up, in order to remove the mucus from their face.

You may think of the dragon as a bloodthirsty demon, gorging himself everyday with these lavish feasts. However, this is not the case. You see, most dragons (the adults) eat only twelve meals a year. They are very energy efficient animas and make use of every bit of food they digest. Oftentimes, after a dragon has finished eating, its belly drags, due to the large amount of food it has eaten. Typically, the dragon will lay out in the sun after a big meal, in order to help with the digestion process. Another interesting thing about feeding is that it is the only time that these dragons may be seen together, as they sometimes eat in large groups.