Atlantic Stream Crayfish vs Canadian beaver

Austropotamobius pallipes compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Atlantic Stream Crayfish is Endangered while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Atlantic Stream Crayfish	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Decapoda (Decapoda)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Astacidae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Austropotamobius	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Austropotamobius pallipes	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Atlantic Stream Crayfish and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

EN — Endangered

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

Habitat

Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Ireland and United Kingdom. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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).

Atlantic Stream Crayfish

The Atlantic Stream Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) is a species in the genus Austropotamobius. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests and temperate coniferous forests within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

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 1 countries:

🇬🇧 United Kingdom