Canadian beaver vs Fitzgerald's Notchwort

Castor canadensis compared with Mesoptychia fitzgeraldiae

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Fitzgerald's Notchwort is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Fitzgerald's Notchwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Jungermanniales (Jungermanniales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Jungermanniaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Mesoptychia
Species	Castor canadensis	Mesoptychia fitzgeraldiae

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Fitzgerald's Notchwort

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Fitzgerald's Notchwort
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).

Fitzgerald's Notchwort

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Norway. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.