Venom, Teeth and Lone Mothers: teacher key

Komodo Dragons, grade 9 edition, written for 9th grade. Look at what science has found about the venom glands, the teeth and the unusual reproduction of the Komodo dragon.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Where are a Komodo dragon's venom glands?
   • In its lower jaw (answer)
   • In its tail
   • In its feet
2. How often does a new tooth form?
   • About every 40 years
   • About every 40 days (answer)
   • About every 4 days
3. What did genetic fingerprinting show about two zoo females?
   • They were not related
   • They were males
   • They had produced offspring on their own (answer)
4. Why might the skull matter for how a dragon feeds?
   • It resists pulling loads rather than making a strong bite (answer)
   • It is very heavy
   • It cannot move
5. What does compound mean here?
   • Very small
   • Made of parts (answer)
   • Very old

Words

• compound: made of parts
• ziphodonty: blade-shaped teeth
• parthenogenesis: birth without fertilization
• subpopulations: island groups