Komodo Dragon vs

Varanus komodoensis compared with Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Key Differences

• Komodo Dragon is Endangered while is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon
Kingdom	Animalia (hayvan)	Archaea (Archaea)
Phylum	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Thermoproteota (Thermoproteota)
Class	Reptilia (Sürüngenler)	Nitrososphaeria (Nitrososphaeria)
Order	Squamata (Pullular)	Nitrososphaerales (Nitrososphaerales)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Nitrosopumilaceae
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Nitrosotalea
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Nitrosotalea devanaterra

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

Komodo Dragon

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard. It is found only on a few Indonesian islands.

Nitrosotalea devanaterra is a chemolithoautotrophic archaeon in the phylum Thaumarchaeota, notable for being the first confirmed ammonia-oxidizing archaeon that thrives under acidic conditions. It was isolated from acidic agricultural soil and plays a significant role in nitrogen cycling in low-pH environments where other nitrifying organisms cannot function. Its discovery expanded understanding of how the global nitrogen cycle operates in acidic ecosystems.