Alder rust vs Canadian beaver

Melampsoridium hiratsukanum compared with Castor canadensis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alder rust	Canadian beaver
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Pucciniomycetes (Pucciniomycetes)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Pucciniales (Pucciniales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Pucciniastraceae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Melampsoridium	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Melampsoridium hiratsukanum	Castor canadensis

Conservation Status

Alder rust

NE — Not Evaluated

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alder rust	Canadian beaver
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alder rust

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (22 countries) and North America (United States).

Canadian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Alder rust

The Alder rust (Melampsoridium hiratsukanum) is a species in the genus Melampsoridium. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.