{"id":10621,"date":"2022-02-25T22:47:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T22:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10621"},"modified":"2022-05-06T20:57:52","modified_gmt":"2022-05-06T20:57:52","slug":"what-can-kill-a-komodo-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/what-can-kill-a-komodo-dragon\/","title":{"rendered":"What Can Kill A Komodo Dragon?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Komodo dragons are strong, powerful, and deadly<\/a>\u2013but is there anything or anyone that can defeat them? What can kill a Komodo dragon\u2013diseases, injuries, other predators? How dangerous are Komodo dragons, and do they have any natural predators? Or are they considered apex predators themselves? Keep reading! In this article, we\u2019ll answer all of these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Dangerous are Komodo Dragons?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Komodo dragons can be extremely dangerous; they are the largest lizards on earth, known for being strong and powerful. Though they don\u2019t have the strongest bite force among predators, their mouths are full sharp, venomous teeth. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their mouths are also filled with many kinds of bacteria from decaying meat. These strains of bacteria can cause blood poisoning in any creature a Komodo dragon bites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Komodo dragons use their powerful tails and thick, heavy bodies in a fight; they often fight each other for food or territory and can crush smaller prey without competition. Their bite force, though not the strongest, is still intense for an animal with such a lightweight skull and small teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, the poison and bacteria in a Komodo dragon\u2019s mouth are also extremely dangerous. A Komodo dragon\u2019s venom can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and prevent blood from clotting, causing their prey or a human victim to bleed out slowly over a couple of days, and if the venom doesn\u2019t kill it first, the blood poisoning surely will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are Komodo Dragons Apex Predators?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Apex predators are animals that have no natural predators of their own\u2013in other words, they are at the top of the food chain. So, do Komodo dragons qualify as apex predators?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most predators, Komodo dragons can be hunted and killed when they are young and small, and even the adults may be hunted when they are injured or sick. But healthy adult Komodo dragons have no known predators in the wild\u2013at least not in their natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, yes, Komodo dragons are considered apex predators. They hunt all different types of prey animals, from small insects and birds to large mammals such as water buffalo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are not hunted by any animals when they are healthy adults; in fact, they are feared and generally avoided by most animals they come in contact with. Again, though, they may be hunted and killed by other predators when they are young or injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Can Kill a Komodo Dragon?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Reference.Com<\/a>, young Komodo dragons are sometimes killed by large predators. <\/strong>To protect themselves, juvenile dragons spend much of their time up in trees to help them avoid drawing attention from more deadly creatures; they do this until they are large enough to fight back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Komodo dragons are resistant to many strains of bacteria often found in the carrion they eat; whereas other animals would likely develop bacterial infections from eating bacteria-infested meat, Komodo dragons can eat nearly anything they want without harm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, Komodo dragons can die from injuries and infections of other kinds. There are few viruses and bacteria they are not naturally immune to, but injuries can make them more prone to predators and possibly lead to excessive blood loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans can kill Komodo dragons and sometimes do so unintentionally by interfering with their natural habitat and competing for food sources. Sometimes humans will kill Komodo dragons by shooting them out of self-defense or in an effort to protect their livestock from being hunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Komodo dragons have no predators in their natural environments, they could be killed by other predators found in other parts of the world – see our article about a theoretical duel between Komodo dragon and King cobra<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to learn more about the animals that could kill Komodo dragons if their territories overlapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vTkouWxm5EI<\/a>