Caoba vs Caoba Espanõla

Swietenia macrophylla compared with Swietenia mahagoni

Key Differences

• Caoba is Endangered while Caoba Espanõla is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Caoba	Caoba Espanõla
Kingdom same	Plantae (planta)	Plantae (planta)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Sapindales (Sapindales)	Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family same	Meliaceae	Meliaceae
Genus same	Swietenia	Swietenia
Species	Swietenia macrophylla	Swietenia mahagoni

Evolutionary Relationship

Caoba and Caoba Espanõla share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Swietenia.

Conservation Status

Caoba

EN — Endangered

Caoba Espanõla

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Caoba	Caoba Espanõla
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Caoba

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (6 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Micronesia, Palau, Vanuatu), and South America (Brazil, Colombia). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Caoba Espanõla

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 5 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (India, Indonesia, Taiwan), North America (4 countries), and South America (Brazil). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇺 Cuba 🇩🇲 Dominica 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇺🇸 United States