Tonight on VS,
We're getting up close and personal
with one of the most
deadly predators on Earth,
the Komodo dragon.
And uh - spoiler -
it's pretty gruesome.
We'll break down
all the gory details
with tonight's spotlight
Hailing from the
Komodo National Park
on the Indonesian archipelago,
the Komodo dragon
is the apex predator
of the islands.
Coming in at 3 m (10 ft) long
and weighing over 135 kg (300 lb),
this seemingly mythic creature
is the largest
living lizard species.
His size and power
make him biologically
suited for hunting.
Just don't let them bite you!
This legendary
lizard's saliva
has over 50 kinds of bacteria.
All of which
do some serious damage
to your bloodstream.
Seriously.
Komodo venom will cause
their blood pressure to tank
and cause you to start hemorrhaging.
Most medical professionals
agree that,
well, that's not good.
Sure, it won't kill you right away.
But unless you get
that wound treated,
you could be
dead days or even hours later.
Having fun yet?
Let's get a little closer.
If looks could kill,
this reptile’s eyes
would be like snipers.
He's able to spot prey
up to 300 m (984 ft) away.
If you think that's cool,
check this out.
Aside from his eyes,
the Komodo dragon's
primary way of finding food
is his sense of smell.
First, he uses his
snake-like forked tongue
to taste test the air.
Next, the
organs on top of his mouth
analyze the molecules in the air.
This signature move
allows the Komodo
to track the scent
of any nearby prey.
Once he locates his prey,
the Komodo dragon
hurls his whole body
like an animal kingdom
body slam.
Chomping down on his victim
is 60 shark-like teeth.
He bites and pulls
at the prey's flesh.
And it only gets more gruesome
from here, folks.
This ripping and tearing
causes venom to ooze from ducts
between his teeth,
and enters the prey's blood system.
If the prey manages to escape,
it'll collapse
from the venom's effects.
The Komodo dragon
can track down the victim again
by following it's bloody trail.
Gnarly!
The Komodo dragon stalks
anything from small rodents
to massive water buffalo.
The piece de resistance
for the Komodo dragon is the deer,
his favorite savory snack.
If the hunt is real thin,
he may be pushed to cannibalism
and eat his own kind.
That's right,
Younger, defenseless dragons
make for an easy meal
when times get tough.
It makes for some
pretty awkward family
dinners, though.
He is a scavenger at heart,
hunting and eating any meat
he can find.
And we mean
any meat.
His heightened sense of smell
helps this predator locate an
"acquired taste"
up to 10 km away.
And what's he after?
Your rotting flesh.
Locals have given him
the nickname of "grave robber"
as he's notorious for digging up
fresh graves
and feasting upon human corpses.
Yeah!
Not even death can save you
from becoming a lizard's
dinner special.
Even for VS,
that's hardcore!
As the largest predator
on the Komodo National Park Islands,
humans and other Komodo
dragons are the only real threats
he has to worry about.
Leave him alone and you'll be OK.
Get too close without backup
and you're
looking at a death sentence.
Sure,
Komodo dragon
attacks on people are rare.
But believe me,
when they do happen,
it's rough.
Between 1974 and 2012
the Komodo National Park
reported 24 attacks
on humans
and five were fatal.
One of the dragon's
more gruesome
kills was
the tragic death
of an 8-year-old boy in 2007.
The Komodo bit the boy
at the waist and lashed him
from side to side.
His family
threw rocks at the lizard,
but the boy died from
blood loss just hours later.
His attacks are vicious
and unrelenting,
causing intense
pain and major trauma
for any survivor.
So let's recap.
Cannibalism,
grave robbing
and child homicide
This turned into an animal kingdom
true-crime show, didn't it?
Want to see him in action?
Next up,
we're throwing the Komodo dragon
into the ring
to see how he fares
against fellow massive reptile,
that carnivorous crocodile
We'll see who wins
on another round of VS.