Komodo Dragon vs Poor Man's Cycad

Varanus komodoensis compared with Encephalartos villosus

Key Differences

Komodo Dragon is Endangered while Poor Man's Cycad is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Komodo Dragon	Poor Man's Cycad
Kingdom	Animalia (动物界)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Tracheophyta
Class	Reptilia (爬行纲)	Cycadopsida (Cycadopsida)
Order	Squamata (有鱗目)	Cycadales (苏铁目)
Family	Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)	Zamiaceae
Genus	Varanus (Monitor Lizards)	Encephalartos
Species	Varanus komodoensis	Encephalartos villosus

Conservation Status

Komodo Dragon

EN — Endangered

Population: ~3.5K

Trend: Stable →

Poor Man's Cycad

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Komodo Dragon	Poor Man's Cycad
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.