Canadian beaver vs common hydra

Castor canadensis compared with Hydra vulgaris

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	common hydra
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Cnidaria (Cnidarians)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Hydrozoa (Hydrozoa)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Anthoathecata (Anthoathecata)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Hydridae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Hydra
Species	Castor canadensis	Hydra vulgaris

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and common hydra share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

common hydra

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	common hydra
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).

common hydra

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

common hydra

<em>Hydra vulgaris</em>, commonly known as the common hydra, is a small freshwater cnidarian in the family Hydridae. Its conservation status has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN. The species is recorded from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, with its native range understood to encompass Europe broadly. It typically inhabits slow-moving or still freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, and streams, where it attaches to aquatic vegetation or submerged substrates. The common hydra is notable for its remarkable regenerative capabilities and has been the subject of substantial biological research. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden