Canadian beaver vs lechwe

Castor canadensis compared with Kobus leche

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while lechwe is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	lechwe
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Kobus
Species	Castor canadensis	Kobus leche

Evolutionary Relationship

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

View Class: Mammalia

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

lechwe

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	lechwe
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).

lechwe

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, France, Netherlands, South Africa, and United Kingdom. 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.