Alston s Cotton Rat vs Canadian beaver

Sigmodon alstoni compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Alston s Cotton Rat is Least Concern while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alston s Cotton Rat	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Cricetidae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Sigmodon	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Sigmodon alstoni	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Alston s Cotton Rat and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Alston s Cotton Rat

LC — Least Concern

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alston s Cotton Rat	Canadian beaver
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alston s Cotton Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

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).

Alston s Cotton Rat

The Alston s Cotton Rat (Sigmodon alstoni) is a species in the genus Sigmodon. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

Canadian beaver

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.