arctic ground squirrel vs Canadian beaver

Urocitellus parryii compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• arctic ground squirrel is Least Concern while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	arctic ground squirrel	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	Sciuridae (Squirrels)	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Urocitellus	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Urocitellus parryii	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

arctic ground squirrel and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

arctic ground squirrel

LC — Least Concern

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

arctic ground squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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).

arctic ground squirrel

The Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) is a species in the genus Urocitellus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.