Athabasca willow vs Canadian beaver

Salix athabascensis compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Athabasca willow is Least Concern while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Athabasca willow	Canadian beaver
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Salicaceae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Salix	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Salix athabascensis	Castor canadensis

Conservation Status

Athabasca willow

LC — Least Concern

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Athabasca willow

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Canada.

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).

Athabasca willow

The Athabasca willow (Salix athabascensis) is a species in the genus Salix. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions. Found in Canada.

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.