Canadian beaver vs Chilean devil ray

Castor canadensis compared with Mobula tarapacana

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Chilean devil ray is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Chilean devil ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Myliobatiformes (Myliobatiformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Myliobatidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Mobula
Species	Castor canadensis	Mobula tarapacana

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Chilean devil ray share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Chilean devil ray

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Chilean devil ray
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).

Chilean devil ray

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Colombia, Portugal, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Chilean devil ray

The Chilean devil ray (Mobula tarapacana) is a species in the genus Mobula. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇱 Chile 🇵🇹 Portugal