Canadian beaver vs Shade Moonwort

Castor canadensis compared with Botrychium tenebrosum

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Shade Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Shade Moonwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Botrychium
Species	Castor canadensis	Botrychium tenebrosum

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Shade Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Shade Moonwort
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).

Shade Moonwort

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as 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.