Histological Study of Skin Structures From Selected Body Areas in the Varanus komodoensis.

The skin of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is covered by a form of armour formed mainly of scales, which often co-occur with osteoderms. Scales are keratinized, non-mineralized structures in the uppermost layer of the epidermis that are in contact with each other to form a system in which individual scales are isolated from each other by a softer skin fold zone. In the Varanus, the surface of the scales is flat and smooth (thoracic limb, abdomen, and tail areas), domed and smooth (head area) or domed with conical ornamentation (dorsal surface, pelvic limb-dorsal surface areas).

Macroanatomical, Histological and Microtomographic Study of the Teeth of the Komodo Dragon ()-Adaptation to Hunting.

The present study aimed to characterize the macrostructure and microstructure of the mandibular teeth of the Komodo dragon () and the methods it uses to obtain food. Examinations were performed using a stereoscopic microscope, autofluorescence method, histological method and computed microtomography. A detailed macro- and micro-structural description of mandibular teeth were made.