cinereus shrew vs Komodo Dragon

Sorex cinereus compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

cinereus shrew is Least Concern while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	cinereus shrew	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Soricidae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Sorex	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Sorex cinereus	Varanus komodoensis

Evolutionary Relationship

cinereus shrew and Komodo Dragon share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

cinereus shrew

LC — Least Concern

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

cinereus shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in 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.

cinereus shrew

The cinereus shrew (Sorex cinereus), also known as the masked shrew, is a small insectivorous mammal in the family Soricidae, native to North America. It has one of the widest distributions of any North American shrew, ranging from Alaska and Canada south through the northern United States, with isolated populations in the Appalachian Mountains and Rocky Mountains. It inhabits a broad range of habitats including moist forest, meadows, bogs, marshes, and brushy areas, where it hunts continuously for insects, earthworms, small vertebrates, fungi, and carrion to fuel its extremely rapid metabolism. Like all shrews, the cinereus shrew has a very high metabolic rate and must consume almost its own body weight in food daily. It is tiny—typically 3–5 grams—with dense gray-brown fur. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with abundant and widespread populations across the boreal and northern temperate zones. It is a major component of small mammal communities in northern forests and plays an important role in food webs as prey for owls, hawks, and weasels. The species reproduces rapidly, with multiple litters per year, helping sustain populations despite high predation pressure. It is entirely North American and does not occur in Europe.