Posted on 06/08/2008 7:19:32 PM PDT by Flavius
A group of divers found on an island after being missing for two days off the coast of Indonesia fought off Komodo dragons and survived on mussels, according to one of the rescued.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
I don’t know why they didn’t just roast the piece of .....
There are no men left in the world.
Trivia: You know, Sharon Stone’s husband once lost a great toe to a Komodo Dragon (or was it a monitor lizard, I forget). ;-)
The past always at hand it seems; as we fast forward into the future. . .or move around the great circle. . .
Scientific name: Varanus komodoensis
Common name: Ora, Komodo dragon, buaja darat (land crocodile)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Komodo dragons are the world’s heaviest living lizards. They can grow to a length of 10 feet (over 3 meters), with an average length of 8 feet (2.5 meters) and weight of 200 lbs (91 kg.). Females are usually under 8 feet and weigh about 150 lbs. (68 kg.).
The Komodo dragon’s keen sense of smell, if aided by favorable wind, enables it to seek out carrion. up to 5 miles (8.5 kilometers) away. Despite its size, the Komodo is fast moving and agile. They can climb trees and like all monitor lizards they are good swimmers.
Their teeth are laterally compressed with serrated edges, resembling those of flesh-eating sharks. They have about 60 teeth that they replace frequently and are positioned to cut out chunks of its prey. The highly flexible skull allows it to swallow large pieces of its food. The Komodos mouth is full of virulent bacteria and even if its prey survives the original attack, it will die of infection later.
Young dragons up to 29 inches (.75 meters) live in trees and eat insects, birds, eggs, small mammals and other reptiles. They will descend from the tree for carrion.
DIET:
The Komodo is carnivorous and cannibalistic and it has a prodigious appetite. They regularly kill prey as large as pigs and small deer, and have been known to bring down an adult water buffalo. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything they can overpower including small dragons and small or injured humans (dragons make up to 10% of their diet).
An eyewitness account revealed that a 101 lb (46 kg.) dragon ate a 90 lb. (41 kg.) pig in 20 minutes. As a comparison, a 100 lb. person would have to eat 320 quarter pound hamburgers in less than 20 minutes to keep up with the dragon.
In the zoo, the Komodo dragons are fed previously frozen rats.
Kill the stupid things and eat them.
So what? I'd bet that Michael Moore could do better than that...
My sweet Lord~~~
I’m not afraid of much but I tell you, when I watch these nightmarish throwbacks on discovery, et al... I have nightmares for a week. They are the creepiest, nastiest things that I’ve ever seen and I’m afraid that it would have eaten me because I would have fainted dead away had I come face to face with it.
Good times. I once found myself surrounded by water moccasins in a big creek - standing still I counted 16 as they slithered by. I’m sure I gave them a poor impression of humans by what I added to the water.
Bob & Ray tell you all you need to know about Komodo dragons at http://rf1.streamguys.net/content/br_nts.wma
A rheumatic Labrador would pose as much threat to five fit healthy adults as a komodo “dragon”. They’re just oversized geckos.
What’s all this about “Tickle Me Homo”? Children should be trained to watch out for creeps. What? Elmo? Never mind.
I was once spearfishing in Divers’ Cove in Laguna Beach when 6-8 6 foot moray eels congregated beneath me at around 35’ depth. Needless to say, I moved to a different part of the cove. I’m no hero.
They have eaten humans, and regularly take down pigs and deer.
If you want to call them oversize geckos, I invite you to spend a few days on an isolated island with them.
They could eat a child or a particularly slow person, they are no threat to five fully grown fit adults. Believe me I’ve been in fairly close proximity to the things and I’ve felt more threatened by large dogs than them.
You want to be afraid of them go ahead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.