Dissecting a (Komodo) Dragon

[nancylebov]

This is interesting in itself, but I think it's especially the sort of thing science fiction authors should know.

I don't think I've seen a dissection of a real full-sized dragon in sf. Sorry, but for those purposes, the Lady Trent novels don't count, even though I like them very much. Those dragons aren't big enough. They are quite satisfying, but they're basically big naturalistic predators. (I've only read the first two books-- if there's something different in book three, don't tell me.)

Dissecting a monitor lizard is quite enough trouble-- I didn't know they have bits of bone in their scales, so that the skin is very hard to cut through. Or that they seem to have venom, just in case the bacteria in their mouths aren't deadly enough.

Link thanks to andrewducker.

Comments

[twistedchick]

There was some discussion about venom as well as simply huge amounts of bacteria in monitor lizard bites, after someone famous was bitten a couple of years ago. Can't remember who, just that it was some Name or mate of a Name.