[WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT] Video Shows Komodo Dragons Eating Their Prey Alive

Before we get to the video below, I really want to take this moment to warn you beforehand, that the video below is incredibly graphic and if you are the sensitive type, you might want to pass this particular article by.

Watching a Komodo Dragon eat it’s prey, is almost primordial, it’s akin to watching a dinosaur eat, it’s that horrific, so if you have a strong stomach, then by all means, proceed.

The Komodo Dragon is the biggest lizard on planet earth and that makes it an apex predator. It used to be believed, that a bite from the Komodo was toxic because of the bacteria in their mouth.

We have since learned, that the Komodo Dragon has venom glands in their lower jaw and that venom prevents the blood from clotting and coupled with the bacteria in their saliva, their bite is usually always fatal.

Any animal (or human) bitten by a Komodo Dragon, would be hard pressed to escape, as these giant lizards can track their prey over great distances with almost surgical precision (scary huh?).

*Compared to crocodilians and other reptiles, Komodo dragons have relatively weak bite strength. Instead, they rely on their sharp, curved teeth and long, sturdy claws to slash and tear at their prey with astonishing force.

After biting down, they use their powerful neck muscles to violently shake side-to-side, ripping apart flesh and muscle and causing severe blood loss and shock. Komodo dragons are carnivores. A big part of a Komodo dragon’s diet is carrion, or decaying flesh from dead animals.

But they are fully capable of hunting live prey, and there are recorded instances of fully-grown Komodo dragons taking down animals as large as horses and water buffaloes.

Adult Komodo dragons are among the largest, heaviest lizards on Earth. In the wild, these scaly giants usually weigh around 154 pounds (70 kilograms). The largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms), which is as long as a small car and as heavy as a refrigerator.

A Komodo dragon’s stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal!

Okay, if you’ve gotten this far, then sit back and watch these incredible apex predators do their thing!

H/T – *Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute