Komodo Dragon vs Philippine Cedar

Varanus komodoensis compared with Toona calantas

Key Differences

• Komodo Dragon is Endangered while Philippine Cedar is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon	Philippine Cedar
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Reptilia (Reptiles)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)	Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Meliaceae
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Toona
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Toona calantas

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Philippine Cedar

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Komodo Dragon	Philippine Cedar
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.

Philippine Cedar

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Komodo Dragon

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