Canadian beaver vs

Castor canadensis compared with Hapalosiphon luteolus

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)	Hapalosiphonaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Hapalosiphon
Species	Castor canadensis	Hapalosiphon luteolus

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 Asia, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

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.

Hapalosiphon luteolus is a filamentous, branching cyanobacterium found in freshwater habitats, damp soil, and moist terrestrial environments including peat bogs and wetland margins. It produces a yellowish pigmentation and forms heterocysts capable of nitrogen fixation. This species contributes to nitrogen cycling in wetland and semi-aquatic ecosystems where it forms part of benthic microbial communities.