Basking shark vs Canadian beaver

Rhincodon typus compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Basking shark is Endangered while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.
• Basking shark is omnivore while Canadian beaver is herbivore.
• Basking shark is 800.0x heavier than Canadian beaver.
• Basking shark lives longer (100 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Basking shark	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Rhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Rhincodon (Whale Sharks)	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Rhincodon typus	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Basking shark and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Basking shark

EN — Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Basking shark	Canadian beaver
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	100 years	15 years
Average Length	12.0 m	1.0 m
Average Weight	20.0 t	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Basking shark

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Portugal, Taiwan, and Venezuela. 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).

Basking shark

The world's largest fish, whale sharks can exceed 12 meters and 20 tonnes, inhabiting tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide. Despite their massive size, they are harmless filter feeders, consuming plankton, fish eggs, and small fish by swimming open-mouthed through prey-dense water. They undertake vast seasonal migrations following plankton blooms. Endangered due to fishing, boat strikes, and the live fin trade, with population declining by approximately 50% over the past 75 years.

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:

🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇹 Portugal