Canadian beaver vs cluster fig

Castor canadensis compared with Ficus racemosa

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while cluster fig is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	cluster fig
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Moraceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Ficus
Species	Castor canadensis	Ficus racemosa

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

cluster fig

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	cluster fig
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).

cluster fig

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Brazil and Taiwan.

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.

cluster fig

Ficus racemosa, commonly called the cluster fig or red river fig, is a large deciduous to semi-evergreen tree in the family Moraceae with a native range spanning tropical Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and extending to northern Australia. Despite records suggesting Brazil and Taiwan, the species is most reliably native to South and Southeast Asia. The cluster fig is famous for its remarkable reproductive strategy: fruits grow directly from the trunk and major branches in dense clusters, a habit known as cauliflory. These figs are critical food resources for a wide array of frugivores including bats, birds, monkeys, and civets, making F. racemosa a keystone species in riparian and moist deciduous forests. Trees can reach 15–30 meters in height and develop buttressed bases when growing along riverbanks and in seasonally flooded areas. Like all figs, Ficus racemosa shares an obligate mutualism with its specific fig wasp pollinator, without which reproduction is impossible. Fruits have long been used in traditional medicine across South Asia to treat various ailments. The tree is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution and adaptability, though local populations may face pressure from deforestation and river channelization in its native range.