Canadian beaver vs

Castor canadensis compared with Gloeothece fuscolutea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Bacteria (Bacteria)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Cyanobacteria (Cyanobacteria)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Cyanobacteriia
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Cyanobacteriales
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Microcystaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Gloeothece
Species	Castor canadensis	Gloeothece fuscolutea

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver
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).

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

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.

Gloeothece fuscolutea is a unicellular or colonial cyanobacterium forming cells embedded in brownish-yellow (fuscoluteous) gelatinous sheaths. It is found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats worldwide and contributes to primary production and nitrogen fixation. Its conservation status is not evaluated.