Canadian beaver vs painted ray

Castor canadensis compared with Raja microocellata

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while painted ray is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	painted ray
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Elasmobranchii
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rajiformes (Rajiformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Rajidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Raja
Species	Castor canadensis	Raja microocellata

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

painted ray

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	painted ray
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).

painted ray

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Belgium and Denmark. 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium