Scientists Discover Komodo Dragons Have Iron-Coated Teeth

They are the first reptile discovered with this metal in their teeth, but they aren’t the only ones.

Photo by Mitch Hodiono on Unsplash

I find it so cool how Nature comes up with so many ways to use the same design for different things. Take teeth, for example. Our species is just one of a massive number of animals on our planet that possess teeth — and each species’ set is entirely unique with various rows, shapes, sizes, and materials.

We, humans, get two sets of natural teeth in our lifetime. One set grows in, then falls out, during childhood and is replaced by our adult teeth. But many animals like the Komodo dragon, for example, and other reptiles basically shed teeth like a snake sheds skin, going through several sets of teeth in a lifetime. Now, curiosity led researchers to discover something new about Komodo dragon teeth — they’re lined with iron.

Komodo Dragons

If you don’t know, Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 10 feet (3.13 meters) long, are the largest living reptile on Earth. These endangered giant lizards can live for thirty years and dwell exclusively on Indonesia’s islands.

Komodo dragons are carnivorous, meaning they eat meat and consume everything from rodents to deer, pigs, and…