vs Komodo Dragon

Ciboria amentacea compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Fungi (Pilze)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Schlauchpilze)	Chordata (Chordatiere)
Class	Leotiomycetes (Leotiomycetes)	Reptilia (Reptilien)
Order	Helotiales (Helotiales)	Squamata (Schuppenkriechtiere)
Family	Sclerotiniaceae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Ciboria	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Ciboria amentacea	Varanus komodoensis

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Ciboria amentacea is a small cup fungus in the family Sclerotiniaceae, found across temperate Europe. This inconspicuous discomycete produces tiny, stalked, cup-shaped apothecia that emerge in late winter to early spring, typically from the catkins (aments) of alder (Alnus) or willow (Salix) that have fallen into standing water or wet soil. The fruiting bodies are pale brownish to tan, rarely exceeding a few millimeters in diameter, and are easily overlooked. The species name amentacea derives from the Latin word for catkin, reflecting its substrate specificity. Ciboria amentacea is saprotrophic, decomposing plant material in riparian and wetland habitats, contributing to nutrient cycling in these sensitive ecosystems. It has not been formally assessed by the IUCN. The genus Ciboria belongs to the broader Sclerotiniaceae family, which also includes economically important plant pathogens; however, Ciboria species are generally not regarded as pathogenic. Records of this fungus are scattered across central and northern Europe, with the fruiting season heavily dependent on winter temperatures and snowmelt timing. Its early spring phenology makes it an important early food source for springtail and mite communities. Identification requires microscopic examination of spore morphology and paraphysis structure.