Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Science Illustrated

    KOMODO DRAGON IS DESIGNED TO KILL

    May 13, 2020 6 minutes
    By Jonas Grosen Meldal

    The sun shines brightly on the island of Komodo in the Indonesian archipelago. A three-metre-long Komodo dragon is sunbathing next to one of the island’s few water sources, when suddenly its tongue vibrates intensely. It has picked up the smell of prey. The Komodo dragon shuffles to a nearby hiding place, and waits. A small group of goats appear. The large lizard lunges, using its slimy mouth to seize the hind leg of one of them. After a little tug-of-war, the goat shakes loose and escapes, but the Komodo dragon knows that its supper has been safely secured. It quietly follows the scent trail of the wounded animal until, one hour after the attack, the goat has lost so much blood that it lies helplessly on the forest floor. It has the strength to utter one last weak bleat before the Komodo dragon tears open its stomach.

    Scientists have long known

    You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

    More from Science Illustrated

    Science Illustrated1 min read
    3 Things YOU Can Do
    → If you’re truly storm-phobic, you could consider living somewhere with fewer of them. In Australia, quiet spots include South Australia, Perth and further south in WA, even Tasmania; these areas are certainly not storm-free, but have fewer and less
    Science Illustrated2 min read
    Humans Have Tilted The Earth
    CLIMATE It is well-documented that Earth’s axis of rotation and tilt – responsible for the changing seasons on our planet – change over time. But an international research team headed by Seoul National University in South Korea has concluded that sin
    Science Illustrated1 min readChemistry
    Green Cycle Could Burn Iron Over And Over Again
    1 Iron has the chemical formula Fe and can replace coal in a power plant in the form of a powder made from old scrap metal. The iron powder burns at temperatures of around 1800°C. 2 When something burns, it is fuelled by oxygen (O2 ). The burning of

    Related Books & Audiobooks