brown bear vs Canadian beaver

Ursus arctos compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• brown bear is Extinct while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.
• brown bear is omnivore while Canadian beaver is herbivore.
• brown bear is 12.0x heavier than Canadian beaver.
• brown bear lives longer (25 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	brown bear	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Ursus (Bears)	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Ursus arctos	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

brown bear and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	brown bear	Canadian beaver
Diet	Omnivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	25 years	15 years
Average Length	2.0 m	1.0 m
Average Weight	300.0 kg	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

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).

brown bear

The world's most widely distributed bear species, brown bears range from North America and Europe across Russia to Japan, occupying forests, tundra, and alpine meadows. Adults can weigh up to 700 kg in coastal Alaskan populations. Omnivores that consume berries, roots, fish, and carrion, brown bears are a keystone species that distribute nutrients across landscapes. Most populations are stable, though some subspecies are threatened.

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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine