Canadian beaver vs Globe Thistle

Castor canadensis compared with Echinops exaltatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Globe Thistle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Tenrecidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Echinops
Species	Castor canadensis	Echinops exaltatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Globe Thistle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Globe Thistle

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Globe Thistle
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).

Globe Thistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (13 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

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 11 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States