Komodo dragons hunt large animals by leaping from ambush and biting and clawing their prey. If the dragon fails to disembowel its victim on the first strike, it will then patiently wait for the target animal to weaken and die. Zoologists had always presumed that the cause of death in this situation was sepsis provoked by the numerous strains of bacteria which live in the mouth of a dragon.
However, researchers have now discovered that the giant lizards are in fact venomous and that the hemotoxic poison that they deliver when chomping on their victims causes a dramatic drop in blood pressure and internal bleeding which kills their dinner. The venom contains chemical components similar to that of the Australian Taipan, which is one of the deadliest snakes in the world.
Essentially, a Komodo dragon is pretty much like a Gila monster except that it is far more venomous, is highly aggressive, is ten feet long, and weighs over 300 pounds. Also, while a Gila monster may bite you in self-defense, a Komodo dragon will actually actively pursue you because it wants to eat you. For these reasons, some herpetologists recommend that dragons not be kept as house pets.
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