Canadian beaver vs Rye Ergot

Castor canadensis compared with Claviceps purpurea

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Rye Ergot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Hypocreales (Hypocreales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Clavicipitaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Claviceps
Species	Castor canadensis	Claviceps purpurea

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Rye Ergot

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Rye Ergot
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).

Rye Ergot

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 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States