vs Canadian beaver

Aphanocapsa sideroderma compared with Castor canadensis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Canadian beaver
Kingdom	Bacteria (Bacteria)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Cyanobacteriia	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Cyanobacteriales	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Microcystaceae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Aphanocapsa	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Aphanocapsa sideroderma	Castor canadensis

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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).

Aphanocapsa sideroderma is a unicellular cyanobacterium forming colonial aggregates in gelatinous sheaths with iron-encrusted outer layers. It inhabits iron-rich freshwater environments including springs, streams, and wetlands. This photosynthetic bacterium produces energy through oxygenic photosynthesis and contributes to biofilm formation on iron-rich substrates.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden