Cobra Clubtail vs giraffe

Gomphurus vastus compared with Giraffa camelopardalis

Key Differences

• Cobra Clubtail is Least Concern while giraffe is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobra Clubtail	giraffe
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Arthropoda (節足動物)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Insecta (昆虫)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Odonata (蜻蛉目)	Artiodactyla (偶蹄目)
Family	Gomphidae	Giraffidae (Giraffes)
Genus	Gomphurus	Giraffa (Giraffes)
Species	Gomphurus vastus	Giraffa camelopardalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobra Clubtail and giraffe share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (動物)

Conservation Status

Cobra Clubtail

LC — Least Concern

giraffe

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~117.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cobra Clubtail	giraffe
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	25 years
Average Length	—	5.5 m
Average Weight	—	1.2 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobra Clubtail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

giraffe

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Ecuador. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cobra Clubtail

The cobra clubtail (Gomphurus vastus) is a large, robust dragonfly belonging to the family Gomphidae, distinguished by the characteristic club-shaped expansion at the terminal segments of the male's abdomen—a feature that lends the entire clubtail family its common name. This species is one of the largest gomphids in eastern North America, with a body length typically reaching 60–75 millimeters. Males display striking yellow and black patterning along the abdomen, with the club markings particularly vivid during territorial displays. Cobra clubtails inhabit large, clean rivers with moderate to swift currents and sandy or gravelly substrates, where larvae burrow into the riverbed during their multi-year aquatic development. The species is distributed across the eastern United States, with strongholds in river systems draining the Appalachian foothills and the Midwest, including portions of the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi River drainages. Adults are strong fliers that perch on rocks and logs near the water's edge, making short forays to catch flying insect prey in mid-air. Mating occurs in flight over the river, and females deposit eggs directly into the water by tapping the abdomen on the surface. The cobra clubtail is sensitive to water quality degradation and siltation, serving as a bioindicator of river health. It is listed as Least Concern given its relatively broad distribution across river systems with adequate habitat quality.

giraffe

地球上で最も背の高い動物であるキリン（Giraffa camelopardalis）は体高が5.5mに達し、体重は最大1,750kgにもなる。すべての哺乳類と同じ7個の頸椎からなる長い首は、アフリカのサバンナや疎林のアカシアの木に食物を求めて進化した。永続的な絆を持たない緩やかな群れで生活する社会的動物で、超低周波音と身振りで意思疎通する。生息地の喪失と密猟により個体数が減少している危急種である。