Canadian beaver vs Nile Crocodile

Castor canadensis compared with Crocodylus niloticus

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Nile Crocodile is Least Concern.
Canadian beaver is herbivore while Nile Crocodile is carnivore.
Nile Crocodile is 30.0x heavier than Canadian beaver.
Nile Crocodile lives longer (70 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Nile Crocodile
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Castor canadensis	Crocodylus niloticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Nile Crocodile share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Nile Crocodile

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~500.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Nile Crocodile
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	70 years
Average Length	1.0 m	5.0 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	750.0 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).

Nile Crocodile

Habitat

Typically found in diverse ecosystems where prey species are available.

Range

Distributed across Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, South Africa, and Tanzania.

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.