Canadian beaver vs Lesser Yoke-Moss

Castor canadensis compared with Zygodon conoideus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Lesser Yoke-Moss is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Lesser Yoke-Moss
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Bryophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Bryopsida (Bryopsida)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Orthotrichales (Orthotrichales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Orthotrichaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Zygodon
Species	Castor canadensis	Zygodon conoideus

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Lesser Yoke-Moss

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Lesser Yoke-Moss
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).

Lesser Yoke-Moss

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (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 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States