Canadian beaver vs common sea hare

Castor canadensis compared with Aplysia punctata

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while common sea hare is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	common sea hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Aplysiida (Aplysiida)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Aplysiidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Aplysia
Species	Castor canadensis	Aplysia punctata

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

common sea hare

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	common sea hare
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 sea hare

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, 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 sea hare

<em>Aplysia punctata</em>, the common sea hare, is a large opisthobranch sea slug in the family Aplysiidae, order Aplysiida, found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, with confirmed records from Denmark, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. This species typically inhabits shallow subtidal and intertidal zones with abundant macroalgae, feeding primarily on red and green algae — a diet that influences the color of the defensive purple ink it secretes when threatened. <em>Aplysia punctata</em> is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, capable of acting as both male and female during mating, and often forms mating chains involving multiple individuals. It can reach considerable size among European opisthobranch species, though body dimensions vary considerably with age and feeding conditions. The species is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting stable populations across its coastal range. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature, including precise average data on lifespan, body length, weight, and detailed seasonal dietary patterns, though its general herbivorous feeding on macroalgae is well established.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden