Canadian beaver vs Common Spreadwing

Castor canadensis compared with Lestes sponsa

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Common Spreadwing is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Common Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Lestidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Lestes
Species	Castor canadensis	Lestes sponsa

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Common Spreadwing

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Common Spreadwing
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 Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, 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 Spreadwing

Common Spreadwing (Lestes sponsa) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden