Canadian beaver vs Central American agouti

Castor canadensis compared with Dasyprocta punctata

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Central American agouti is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Central American agouti
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)	Dasyproctidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Dasyprocta
Species	Castor canadensis	Dasyprocta punctata

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Central American agouti

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Central American agouti
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).

Central American agouti

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and 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.

Central American agouti

The Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) is a species in the genus Dasyprocta. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Distributed across Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Venezuela.