Canadian beaver vs fire moss

Castor canadensis compared with Ceratodon purpureus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	fire moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Dicranales (Dicranales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Ditrichaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Ceratodon
Species	Castor canadensis	Ceratodon purpureus

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

fire moss

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	fire moss
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).

fire moss

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

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