Balau vs Komodo Dragon

Shorea lumutensis compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

Balau is Critically Endangered while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balau	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Plantae (planta)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (cordados)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Reptilia (reptil)
Order	Malvales (Malvales)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Dipterocarpaceae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Shorea	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Shorea lumutensis	Varanus komodoensis

Conservation Status

Balau

CR — Critically Endangered

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balau

Habitat

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

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.

Balau

The Balau (Shorea lumutensis) is a species in the genus Shorea. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.