Canadian beaver vs common river snail

Castor canadensis compared with Viviparus viviparus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while common river snail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	common river snail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Architaenioglossa (Architaenioglossa)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Viviparidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Viviparus
Species	Castor canadensis	Viviparus viviparus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

common river snail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	common river snail
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 river snail

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found across Europe (7 countries).

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 river snail

<em>Viviparus viviparus</em>, the common river snail, is a freshwater gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae, order Architaenioglossa. It is distributed across Europe, with populations documented in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Hungary, among other countries, typically inhabiting slow-moving and still freshwater bodies including rivers, canals, ponds, and ditches. The species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Common river snails typically live in soft-sediment benthic habitats, grazing on algae, aquatic plant material, and organic detritus using a radula — a ribbon-like feeding organ characteristic of gastropods. <em>Viviparus viviparus</em> is notable among freshwater mollusks for being viviparous, giving birth to fully formed juvenile snails rather than laying eggs, an adaptation reflected in both the genus and family names. This reproductive strategy typically results in small litter sizes but high juvenile survival compared to egg-laying mollusks. The species plays a role in benthic nutrient cycling and serves as prey for waterfowl, fish, and crayfish. Biological traits such as precise lifespan, body measurements, and population density data vary across localities and remain incompletely documented in comprehensive studies.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇦 Ukraine