Brown Ear vs Komodo Dragon

Otidea cochleata compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

Brown Ear is Vulnerable while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Ear	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Otideaceae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Otidea	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Otidea cochleata	Varanus komodoensis

Conservation Status

Brown Ear

VU — Vulnerable

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Ear	Komodo Dragon
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	30 years
Average Length	—	2.6 m
Average Weight	—	70.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Ear

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Komodo Dragon

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 4 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Indonesia. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Brown Ear

The Brown Ear (Otidea cochleata) is a species in the genus Otidea. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.