Choke vs Komodo Dragon

Epichloe typhina compared with Varanus komodoensis

Key Differences

Choke is Not Evaluated while Komodo Dragon is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Choke	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)	Reptilia (Reptil)
Order	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)	Squamata (Lizards & Snakes)
Family	Clavicipitaceae	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus	Epichloe	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
Species	Epichloe typhina	Varanus komodoensis

Conservation Status

Choke

NE — Not Evaluated

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Choke

Habitat

Native to North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in United States.

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.

Choke

Choke (Epichloe typhina) is an endophytic and pathogenic fungus in the family Clavicipitaceae, phylum Ascomycota, that colonises the tissues of various cool-season grasses (Poaceae) across Europe and North America. The name refers to the disease it causes — infected grass tillers are typically 'choked' (prevented from flowering) when the fungus produces a dense, white to cream-coloured, stromata (a compact fungal structure) that surrounds the flowering stem before it can emerge, suppressing seed production. Epichloe species exist along a mutualism-parasitism continuum; some strains are biotrophic endophytes living almost entirely within grass tissues without obvious symptoms and conferring benefits to the host such as increased drought resistance and deterrence of herbivores through alkaloid production, while others — including E. typhina — are more parasitic in nature, sterilising infected host tillers. The fungus spreads via airborne ascospores produced on its stroma that infect new host plants. Related Epichloe/Neotyphodium endophytes are of great practical importance to agriculture as they produce ergot alkaloids and other compounds that can cause toxicosis in livestock grazing infected pasture grasses. As a fungal pathogen/endophyte rather than a wildlife species, it is Not Evaluated by the IUCN.