Cobra Clubtail vs Lǎohǔ

Gomphurus vastus compared with Panthera tigris

Key Differences

• Cobra Clubtail is Least Concern while Lǎohǔ is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cobra Clubtail	Lǎohǔ
Kingdom same	Animalia (动物界)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Arthropoda (节肢动物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Insecta (昆蟲綱)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Odonata (蜻蜓目)	Carnivora (食肉目)
Family	Gomphidae	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Gomphurus	Panthera (Big Cats)
Species	Gomphurus vastus	Panthera tigris

Evolutionary Relationship

Cobra Clubtail and Lǎohǔ share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (动物界)

Conservation Status

Cobra Clubtail

LC — Least Concern

Lǎohǔ

EN — Endangered

Population: ~4.5K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cobra Clubtail	Lǎohǔ
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	20 years
Average Length	—	3.0 m
Average Weight	—	220.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cobra Clubtail

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found in United States.

Lǎohǔ

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 6 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador. Currently classified as Endangered 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.

Lǎohǔ

地球上最大的野生猫科动物，体重可超过300千克，栖息于从俄罗斯远东到东南亚的森林中。独居埋伏捕食者，具有独特的橙色和黑色条纹皮毛，在斑驳光线中提供伪装。由于偷猎和森林砍伐，野外种群减少至不足4,000只，被列为极危（CR）物种。