Canadian beaver vs Cape Breton Firefly

Castor canadensis compared with Photuris fairchildi

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Cape Breton Firefly is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Cape Breton Firefly
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Coleoptera (Beetles)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Lampyridae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Photuris
Species	Castor canadensis	Photuris fairchildi

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Cape Breton Firefly share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Cape Breton Firefly

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Cape Breton Firefly
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	25.0 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic 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).

Cape Breton Firefly

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

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.

Cape Breton Firefly

The Cape Breton Firefly (Photuris fairchildi) is a species in the genus Photuris. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States