Canadian beaver vs capybara

Castor canadensis compared with Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while capybara is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	capybara
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Caviidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Hydrochoerus
Species	Castor canadensis	Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and capybara share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

capybara

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	capybara
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).

capybara

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Belgium, Norway, Poland), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

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.

capybara

The Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a species in the genus Hydrochoerus. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇺🇸 United States