Will Burrard-Lucas / Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) with saliva dripping from mouth, saliva contains virulent bacteria which infects wounds. Komodo National Park, Rinca Island, Indonesia.

Laurent Geslin / Taking saliva sample from Simien jackal {Canis simensis} Bale Mts NP, Ethiopia, 2004

Mark Carwardine / Komodo dragon drooling {Varanus komodoensis} Komodo, Indonesia

Jeff Rotman / Scientist holding a poisonous Pacific blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) in his hand. The octopus can emmit a fatal neurotoxin through it's saliva when provoked, and there is no known anti-v...

Stephen Belcher / Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) with saliva dribbling from mouth, Komodo Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Stephen Belcher / Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) with saliva dribbling from mouth, Komodo Island, Komodo National Park, Indonesia

Andy Sands / Spider hunting wasp (Auplopus carbonarius) collecting nesting material by exuding saliva onto soil and collecting it up as a damp ball, London, England, UK

Bruno D'Amicis / Biologist collecting saliva from a Noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula) for a DNA sample. Berlin, Germany

Jane Burton / European Hedgehog {Erinaceus europaeus} self anointing; raising the skin of its back into ridges and twisting itself round to get the saliva far back on the spines, UK, captive

Jane Burton / European Hedgehog {Erinaceus europaeus} self-anointing; flicking foamy saliva onto its spines with its tongue, captive, UK

Juergen Freund / Komodo dragon captured for research (Varanus komodoensis) Komodo Island, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Komodo dragon saliva sample for research (Varanus komodoensis) Komodo Island, Indonesia