Komodo Dragon vs Mesoamerican Yew

Varanus komodoensis compared with Taxus globosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon	Mesoamerican Yew
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Coniferophyta (Conifers)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Pinopsida (Conifers)
Order	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)	Pinales (Pines & Allies)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Taxaceae
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Taxus
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Taxus globosa

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Mesoamerican Yew

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic 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.

Mesoamerican Yew

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Komodo Dragon

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard. It is found only on a few Indonesian islands.