Canadian beaver vs dooryard sowbug

Castor canadensis compared with Porcellio laevis

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while dooryard sowbug is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	dooryard sowbug
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Malacostraca (Crustaceans)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Isopoda (Isopoda)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Porcellionidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Porcellio
Species	Castor canadensis	Porcellio laevis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

dooryard sowbug

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	dooryard sowbug
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).

dooryard sowbug

Habitat

Typically found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Japan), Europe (12 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil).

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.