Carnation Earthfan vs Komodo Dragon

Thelephora caryophyllea compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

Carnation Earthfan is Least Concern while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Carnation Earthfan	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Thelephorales (Thelephorales)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Thelephoraceae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Thelephora	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Thelephora caryophyllea	Varanus komodoensis

Conservation Status

Carnation Earthfan

LC — Least Concern

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Carnation Earthfan

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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.

Carnation Earthfan

The Carnation Earthfan (Thelephora caryophyllea) is a species in the genus Thelephora. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.