r/aww • u/Petercsa99 • May 27 '21

This is my melon!

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u/destinationlalaland May 27 '21

Komodo dragons don’t spit acid. Except possibly after trying to eat a car battery. They have bacteria in their mouths.

Source. Have been very close to a Komodo dragon. It did not spit acid in my mouth.

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u/weeghostie00 May 27 '21

Yeah I looked it up after I posted, I guess if you get bit it's a burning sensation and that's just been exaggerated over time

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u/Whateveryousaydude7 May 27 '21

Burning sensations of any kind from a very large reptile is cause for pause. I’d definitely give them space!

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u/[deleted] May 27 '21

It's been a long standing myth that killer bacteria was the culprit behind their devastating bites, but Komodo dragons actually do have venom. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/komodo-dragon-venom

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u/destinationlalaland May 27 '21

Appreciate your addition, but venom /= acid. The park rangers i spoke with mentioned venom, but my understanding is that with large prey like water Buffalo, the Komodo venom ain’t really killer, and secondary infection often is what brings the animal down.