Hi LinkedIn, thanks for the generous character limit (2600!) Closely related to monitor lizards and goannas, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the world’s largest living lizard species. They evolved to this gigantic size around 15 million years ago in what is now Australia, before the continents collided and they migrated across into the Indonesian islands.Though they prefer to scavenge (Komodos can detect the smell of carrion up to 9.5 km away!), they are also fearsome hunters, stalking and chasing their prey across long distances. Hunting both alone and in coordinated groups, they can take down anything from birds to buffalo and have even been known to attack humans.Komodo dragons can grow up to 90 kg in weight and 3 m in length. Their large size and powerful bite are supplemented by the ability to chase prey across long distances, reaching speeds of 20 km/h. In addition, they can dive up to 4.5 m under the water. Young Komodos can also climb trees with the help of their sharp claws, which they often do to escape cannibalism by their larger counterparts.Up until early this century, it was thought that Komodos had ‘dirty’ mouths since they were often spotted scavenging and feasting on carrion. This dirtiness would be a breeding ground for species of septic bacteria, that would infect the blood of whatever they sank their teeth into, causing their prey to die a slow and painful death.However, in a 2013 study, it was found that their saliva contained no such bacteria. In fact, Komodo dragons have good mouth hygiene. They spend time lip-licking and rubbing their head in leaves after eating, removing excess meat from their mouths to prevent disease. They also regurgitate pellets of hair and other indigestible material from their stomachs, making sure to clean themselves afterward. In this respect, Komodos are just giant, hairless cats.In 2005, a team of researchers took a closer look at the saliva of a Komodo dragon after noticing that its bite-induced side effects were closely related to envenomation. They found a variety of venomous peptides (short protein chains) using chromatographic techniques, including natriuretic, kallikrein and CRISP toxins, along with a toxin unique to lizards, type III phospholipase A2 (PLA2).Together, this cocktail of toxins causes a lowering of blood pressure, rapid swelling, prolonged blood loss and severe pain in Komodo bite victims. This was consistent with the symptoms shown in snake bite victims, leading the researchers to conclude that Komodo dragons were likely capable of producing their own venom.