Canadian beaver vs plains zebra

Castor canadensis compared with Equus quagga

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while plains zebra is Near Threatened.
• plains zebra is 14.0x heavier than Canadian beaver.
• plains zebra lives longer (25 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	plains zebra
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Perissodactyla (Odd-toed Ungulates)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Equidae (Horses & Zebras)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Equus (Horses & Zebras)
Species	Castor canadensis	Equus quagga

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

plains zebra

NT — Near Threatened

Population: ~750.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	plains zebra
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	25 years
Average Length	1.0 m	2.3 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	350.0 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).

plains zebra

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. 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.

plains zebra

The most numerous wild equid, plains zebras inhabit grasslands and savannas of eastern and southern Africa in herds ranging from small family groups to vast aggregations. Their bold black-and-white stripe patterns are unique to each individual and may serve to confuse predators, deter biting insects, and facilitate individual recognition. Zebras form key prey for lions, hyenas, and crocodiles, underpinning savanna food webs.