After billions of years of evolution, the earth today is full of all kinds of amazing animals. On each continental plate are unique local animals, such as zebras and giraffes on the African continent; penguins in Antarctica, polar bears in the Arctic; birds flying in the sky, and many exotic fish in the ocean. Diverse life forms have shaped nature as we know it today, but while the animals on Earth are diverse, there have been many sacrifices in their evolution.
Many times the creatures we see now are the surviving species of the post-Ice Age and the new generation, and the animals that once dominated the earth have long been buried in the soil. Among the extant species, in addition to the huge families and numbers of insects in today, reptiles are also a very large species group. It can be said that among these guys, if it were not for the mass extinction event, humanity might never have a head start.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="5" > lizard</h1>
What comes to mind when you think of reptiles? We have seen reptiles in various documentaries, they are snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles, these perennial residents of animal documentaries, but also synonymous with primitive nature.
With more than 6,000 species of reptiles and can be found in almost any corner of the world, this vast family has impressed people with their peculiar appearance and habits. With the exception of Antarctica, reptiles are mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics, and for most other organisms, cells are able to generate heat when metabolized, so in terms of body temperature, animals are usually in a constant temperature state. However, this is not the case with most reptiles, they do not produce enough heat to maintain body temperature, and must use the external environment to help the body maintain a proper body temperature. Hence the term cold-blooded animal.
In addition, most reptiles are oviparous, the embryo is wrapped in amniotic membranes, and reptiles can also be called "amniotics" from the birth. In our daily lives, one of the most commonly seen reptiles should be lizards. Most people's understanding of lizards should start with geckos, four-legged crawling, scaled and tailed little guys. It always appears at night, catches mosquitoes, and when it is endangered, it also breaks its tail to survive, which makes a very deep impression.
However, geckos are only one of the suborder Lizards, but their physical characteristics are highly representative. When it comes to lizards, many times people will also think of snakes, but unlike snakes, snakes have no feet. However, lizards and snakes both have movable square bones, and the scale composition of the two is almost no different, which is largely related to the original evolutionary branch.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="10" > dinosaur relatives? </h1>
Lizards have strange appearances and special actions, and in daily life we always associate these animals with dinosaurs. The dinosaurs, which once dominated the earth's continent, look very similar to lizards in the appearance that scientists have reconstructed through fossils. But in fact, the relationship between lizards and dinosaurs is actually very far apart, like monkeys and buffaloes.
Although they are also oviparous, the dinosaurs in the general order of dinosaurs after the mass extinction event, the only remaining dinosaurs are mainly bird-type dinosaurs, which have gradually evolved into ornithischiates. In other words, birds flying in the sky are the dinosaurs that once existed, and lizards and dinosaurs can't fight. In addition, the convergence of feathers and birds can also be a very good proof that such animals do not belong to the order Lizards.
In addition to dinosaurs, the image of the dragon is actually quite in line with the appearance and characteristics of lizards, at least in the Western cultural worldview. The Western dragon has wings and four legs, can fly, plunders and acts evil, and spews flames that can burn everything. Artistic processing aside, in addition to not spitting fire, there are actually a few lizards that are quite like that. For example, gliding lizards, giant ring-tailed lizards, the shadow of the Western dragon can be faintly seen on these unique lizards.
However, in the lizard family, most lizards are usually relatively small, and larger lizards are very rare. Is there a large lizard that represents strength, speed, and danger? You don't have to say, there really is.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="15" > Komodo dragon</h1>
Imagine if you were in the wilderness of Komodo Island right now, you were camping in the wilderness, and when you woke up from your break, you found a giant lizard two meters long and weighing 60 kilograms next to you.
The average person is estimated to be directly frightened when he sees this situation, covered with scales, spitting out letters, and the Komodo dragon looks like a python with long legs. But Indonesians have already seen this kind of scene, and if you see this monitor lizard, you'd better pray that it is not here to hunt.
How strong is the Komodo dragon? Also known as Komodo dragon, it is the largest lizard in existence today, and according to statistical records, the maximum length of this species can reach 3 meters and the weight of 70 kilograms. Even under normal circumstances, Komodo dragons can reach about 1.8 meters and weigh 50-60 kilograms, which is already able to reach the physical state of adults.
The mating season of Komodo monitor lizards is generally in summer, spawn in autumn, and the adulthood is longer, taking eight years, and the overall lifespan is about 30 years. Records of komodo dragons were first recorded in Europe in 1910, when a lieutenant of the Dutch government conducted an expedition. At that time, the monitor lizard was known as the "land crocodile", extremely ferocious and notorious. When Lieutenant Brooke arrived at the local zoological museum, he saw a sample of the bones of the species and had a basic record.
Later, after the story of the Komodo dragon spread, the monitor lizards on Komodo Island have been counted and collected by people, and some scientific expedition teams have been transported for live capture. It is worth mentioning that part of the monster inspiration in the famous movie "King Kong" comes from the Komodo dragon.
In terms of living habits, Komodo dragons prefer hot and dry places, or open grasslands. Monitor lizards, also as a temperate species, are more active during the day than at night. In terms of food, Komodo monitor lizards are a member of the scavengers, so they are more of a carrion on the main food, and the amount of food is amazing. Komodo dragons can eat food equivalent to 80% of their body weight in a day, and then maintain the temperature of their bodies under the sun for easy digestion.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="22" > monitor lizard strength</h1>
Most people's knowledge of this monitor lizard may only be known in documentaries, which always describe the Komodo dragon as very scary and frightening, full of danger, and even once "mythical" in many related reports. To say how strong the monitor lizard is, we must analyze the specific problems.
The scavenging nature of monitor lizards gives them an unusually sensitive sense of smell, and they can sense the smell of decay from a few kilometers away. Their tongues, like snakes, are able to collect and analyze molecular signals in the air, allowing monitor lizards to easily sense prey or potential danger.
In the area where the monitor lizard is located, because the monitor lizard is too sensitive to the smell of decay, the locals must dispose of the corpses and burial sites and pile up stones after the funeral ceremony. This prevents the monitor lizard from digging its grave because it is attracted by the smell of decay, otherwise the scene will become very ugly.
Don't look at the Komodo dragon usually slow to move, walking left and right, in fact, the speed of the dragon's action is very agile. They can run at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour, and not only that, but monitor lizards can also dive and climb trees. Swimming is not a problem for monitor lizards at all, the deepest can also dive into the water about 4 meters, and the thick claws can firmly grasp the trunk and climb on the canopy. So when you meet such an opponent in the wild, don't think that running away will solve the problem.
In addition to its athletic hands, the monitor lizard also has sharp and sharp teeth. They have more than 60 teeth, generally more than 2 cm long, and these teeth are inwardly curved hook-shaped and serrated on the inside. In terms of biting, it is easy to tear off the skin and muscles of the prey, making the prey quickly incapacitated. In order to ensure the reliability of this weapon, the monitor lizard also regularly replaces its teeth.
I believe that in the cognition of many people, Komodo dragons are poisonous, largely from their saliva. But this has been shown to be insufficient evidence, komodo dragon saliva does have a large number of bacteria present, once bitten, may be sepsis due to bacterial infection. But as early as 2009, some scientists believed that it was not enough to use saliva to illustrate the relationship between monitor lizard toxicity and predation.
A scientist from Australia, Brian Frye, had long studied the toxicity of monitor lizards. He found that although the monitor lizard did not have poisonous fangs, there were also poisonous glands in the alveoli under the skull of the monitor lizard, and while biting the prey, the venom in the poisonous glands would be squeezed out through the teeth, and the venom was injected from the wound in this way.
In terms of the composition of the venom, the venom of the monitor lizard is not much different from the venom of highly venomous snakes such as the Taipan snake and the eye snake. Venom inhibits blood clotting, lowers blood pressure, and paralyzes muscles, dropping body temperature. The dual effect of venom plus bacteria makes it difficult for prey to escape the fate of predation, and the danger of monitor lizards can be seen.
Fortunately, the menu of monitor lizards is usually carrion, there are few reports of active attacks, and generally speaking, as long as they are not close to their territory, monitor lizards will not take the initiative to attack.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="32" > study dragons</h1>
In the past, there was some deviation in the understanding of the Komodo dragon, and now with the deepening of research and investigation, the Komodo dragon has other surprising discoveries on its own.
In a 2006 recorded case at london zoo in the United Kingdom, the monogexual reproductive ability of monitor lizards was discovered. Female Komodo monitor lizards in the zoo hatch their juveniles without male mating. This is the first time that a monitor lizard has been seen in an artificially bred environment for unisexual reproduction, and the viability of the monitor lizard may be much stronger than people think.
In addition, although the monitor lizard is highly toxic, there are few deaths of infection and poisoning in its kind. In biomedicine, the monitor lizard's ability to poison bacteria has inspired scientists to reverse the study. Scientists have developed a synthetic peptide DRGN-1, which promotes healing effects of mixed biofilm-infected wounds.
Since wound infections are often caused by bacteria, one of the monitor lizard's proteinS1-derived peptideS, VK25, inhibits bacterial growth and promotes wound healing. The biological treatment of this novel peptide may be an important research direction for the treatment of infected wounds in the future.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="36" > conclusion</h1>
The Komodo monitor lizard is undoubtedly one of the most peculiar species in the world, and its presence greatly satisfies the illusion of large reptiles. However, with the changes and developments in recent years, the living environment of the Komodo dragon has begun to be threatened, and it is now included in the Red Endangered Species Conservation List.
Komodo dragons have a high value in the Indonesian market, and these behemoths will eventually escape the hands of humans. In addition, due to the impact of global warming, the sea level that may rise in the future will also affect the habitat of monitor lizards, and coupled with human activities, monitor lizards will be able to survive in less and less places. In the future, the number of such dragons may decline by about 27%, or even become completely extinct. What we need to understand is that in addition to protecting the environment itself, what else can humans do to ensure the survival of these unique species.