Komodo dragon vs lion
The largest living lizard, which kills large prey with venom and shock rather than jaw power. The second-largest living cat and the only one that lives in permanent social groups. The measurements below split evenly, which is rarer than it sounds.
The measurements
| Komodo dragon | lion | |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | 40–166 kg | 120–250 kg |
| Length | 2–3.13 m | 1.6–2.5 m |
| Height | — | 0.9–1.2 m |
| Top speed | — | 60–80 km/h |
| Bite force | 39 psi | 650 psi |
| Lifespan | 25–35 yr | 10–20 yr |
Where each one leads
- Mass: lion is 2.7× heavier.
- Length: Komodo dragon is 1.2× longer.
- Bite force: lion is 17× a stronger bite.
- Lifespan: Komodo dragon is 2.1× a longer life.
What this does and does not tell you
These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.
Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.
Common questions
- Is a Komodo dragon bigger than a lion?
- lion is heavier — 120–250 kg against 40–166 kg.
- Who would win, a Komodo dragon or a lion?
- That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.
Related pages
- How much does a Komodo dragon weigh? Full figure and range
- How much does a lion weigh? Full figure and range
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Sources
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)