Fw: 'Virgin birth' dragon Flora becomes a mum and dad

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

Also forwarded with permission.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael J. Balsai" <vze3vhpv@verizon.net>
To: <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>
Sent: Sunday, January 28, 2007 3:23 AM
Subject: Re: 'Virgin birth' dragon Flora becomes a mum and dad

> > > Not that it matters much anyway. The news report is
> > > dead wrong with this scenario. Komodo dragons are NOT
> > > bite and release hunters. All releases are purely
> > > accidental. The septicemia acts only as a backup; much
> > > like with lynx and caribou (who do tend to die from
> > > the septic bites at around 15 days).
> >
> > Thought so.
>
> While this is more or less true, Komodo dragons do bite very large
> herbivorous mammals particularly  water buffalo on these islands.
> Hanging on to them would actually be detrimental to their health and
> their excellent sense of smell allows them to follow any animals with
> virulent septicemias quite easily. In addition, the bacteria in their
> saliva are so nasty that the infected animals do not require 15 days
> to die from these bites.
>
> Mike Balsai, Ph.D.

I'm sure 15 days was an extreme case, but that's what they said on TV. In 
the absence of evidence to the contrary, I'll regard 2 days as the median... 
:o)