Canadian beaver vs Common Nut Truffle

Castor canadensis compared with Hymenogaster vulgaris

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Common Nut Truffle is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Common Nut Truffle
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)	Hymenogastraceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Hymenogaster
Species	Castor canadensis	Hymenogaster vulgaris

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Common Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Common Nut Truffle
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 Nut Truffle

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, 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.

Common Nut Truffle

<em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em>, the common nut truffle, is a hypogeous (below-ground) fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, order Agaricales. This sequestrate species produces enclosed, truffle-like fruiting bodies that mature underground and rely primarily on small mammals and invertebrates for spore dispersal, as the sporocarps never open to release spores aerially. <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> typically forms ectomycorrhizal associations with hardwood tree species, particularly oaks and beeches, in temperate European forests. Its geographic range includes Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a somewhat scattered distribution across temperate zones. The species is currently assessed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, indicating that insufficient information exists to evaluate its conservation status, likely because hypogeous fungi are difficult to survey and their population trends are poorly known. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species. As an ectomycorrhizal fungus, <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> plays a critical role in facilitating nutrient uptake in host trees and supporting forest health across its temperate range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States