Komodo Dragon vs Moon Trefoil

Varanus komodoensis compared with Medicago arborea

Key Differences

• Komodo Dragon is Endangered while Moon Trefoil is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon	Moon Trefoil
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Fabaceae
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Medicago
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Medicago arborea

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Moon Trefoil

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Komodo Dragon	Moon Trefoil
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.

Moon Trefoil

Habitat

Inhabits montane grasslands and shrublands and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Morocco), Europe (8 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Chile).

Komodo Dragon

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