Canadian beaver vs Giant Coot

Castor canadensis compared with Fulica gigantea

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Giant Coot is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Giant Coot
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Gruiformes (Gruiformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Rallidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Fulica
Species	Castor canadensis	Fulica gigantea

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Giant Coot share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Giant Coot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Giant Coot
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).

Giant Coot

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway