Canadian beaver vs Chaffy sedge

Castor canadensis compared with Carex paleacea

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Chaffy sedge is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Chaffy sedge
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Cyperaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Carex
Species	Castor canadensis	Carex paleacea

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Chaffy sedge

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Chaffy sedge
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).

Chaffy sedge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (Canada). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

Chaffy sedge

The Chaffy sedge (Carex paleacea) is a species in the genus Carex. It is currently classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden