Canadian beaver vs Chestnut Brittlestem

Castor canadensis compared with Homophron spadiceum

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Chestnut Brittlestem is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Chestnut Brittlestem
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Psathyrellaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Homophron
Species	Castor canadensis	Homophron spadiceum

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Chestnut Brittlestem

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Chestnut Brittlestem
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).

Chestnut Brittlestem

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, 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.

Chestnut Brittlestem

The Chestnut Brittlestem (Homophron spadiceum) is a species in the genus Homophron. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States