Canadian beaver vs Mexican Agouti

Castor canadensis compared with Dasyprocta mexicana

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Mexican Agouti is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Mexican Agouti
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Dasyproctidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Dasyprocta
Species	Castor canadensis	Dasyprocta mexicana

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Mexican Agouti share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Mexican Agouti

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Mexican Agouti
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).

Mexican Agouti

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found in Cuba. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.