SSS 2009-05-20（在线收听）

This is Scientific American’s 60-second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer. Got a minute?       

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator. It has long been thought that some of its hunting prowess was due to a mouth teeming with bacteria. An attack that didn't immediately kill the dragon’s victim, often a deer but sometimes a person, would cause fatal bacterial infections. But a report released May 18th by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds a more likely cause of death. The animal has evolved a “sophisticated combined arsenal killing apparatus”.

First, the animal has razor-sharp serrated teeth, perfect for tearing flesh and causing massive wounds, but wait, there’s more. When the researchers performed an MRI of the dragon, they found in its jaws what they called the most structurally complex reptile venom gland known. The gland has openings between the lizard’s teeth and releases chemicals that both dilate blood vessels and prevent blood clotting. The inevitable result is massive blood loss. This new information does help to clean up the foul-mouthed reputation of the Komodo dragon, but it is little solace for its unfortunate prey.
Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Adam Hinterthuer.

"Would you tell us a little bit more about the Komodo dragon, Doctor?"
"Happy to.  The Komodo dragon is the world's largest living lizard. It's a ferocious kind of ora, found on the steep-sloped Island of Komodo, in the Lesser Sunda chain of the Indonesian Archipelago and the nearby islands of Rinca, Padar and Floras."

“Where do they come from?"