Komono dragon bite

[Lynn]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/06/12/national/main296043.shtml

This is a old story but I though it was worth reading

[reptiledude2]

wow thats interesting that must of hurt

[robin]

i have talked with steven hammack about komodos before and he says that isn captivity they do not pose a poisonous effect... that the wild rotting carrion (sp?) in their natural diets is what causes the bacterias to grow... but captive specimens generally do not have this effect. i would assume the antibiotics are used to prevent any infection.. and those lizzards can give ya a hella big bite and do some serious damage but from what i understand captive komodos do not pocess the poisonous saliva there wild brothers and sisters do.
damn a bite like that has GOT TO HURT,, those are big darn animals

[Gonzalez]

Why can't you buy any captive breed komodo's? I read that their dangerous saliva comes from what they eat in the wild. I keep adult water monitors and would love to own a komodo. I think they should be sold only to people with special permits or a license. Not just zoo's. I mean retics, burms, hots, gators, and crocs are possibly just as dangerous if not more but I could go out and get them without any problems. What do you guy's think?

[Laura]

I belive it's because they're endangered. habitat destruction.

[robin]

They are CITIES I appendix animals
http://www.cites.org/eng/append/appendices.shtml


"The Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) treaty was first signed in 1973 in order to protect certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through commercial trade. CITES first entered into force on 1 July 1975, and now 150 nations ("Parties") have signed the CITES treaty.

CITES provides three levels of protection for species in international commercial trade.

CITES Appendix I includes those species that are threatened with extinction and that are or may be affected by international commercial trade. These species may not be traded internationally for primarily commercial purposes. However, such species may be exported and imported for non-commercial purposes. "

] http://www.speciessurvivalnetwork.org/about_cites.htm