Komodo Dragon vs Panther Chameleon

Varanus komodoensis compared with Furcifer pardalis

Key Differences

Komodo Dragon is Endangered while Panther Chameleon is Least Concern.
Komodo Dragon is 388.9x heavier than Panther Chameleon.
Komodo Dragon lives longer (30 years vs 5 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon	Panther Chameleon
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order same	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Chamaeleo (Chameleons)
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Furcifer pardalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Komodo Dragon and Panther Chameleon share a common ancestor at the Order level: Squamata. (Lizards & Snakes)

View Order: Squamata

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Panther Chameleon

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Komodo Dragon	Panther Chameleon
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	30 years	5 years
Average Length	2.6 m	45 cm
Average Weight	70.0 kg	180 g

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.