Canadian beaver vs sharp-leaved pondweed

Castor canadensis compared with Potamogeton acutifolius

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while sharp-leaved pondweed is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	sharp-leaved pondweed
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Alismatales (Alismatales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Potamogetonaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Potamogeton
Species	Castor canadensis	Potamogeton acutifolius

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

sharp-leaved pondweed

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	sharp-leaved pondweed
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).

sharp-leaved pondweed

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. 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 3 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden