Canadian beaver vs Sitka Spruce

Castor canadensis compared with Picea sitchensis

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Sitka Spruce
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Coniferophyta (Conifers)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Pinopsida (Conifers)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Pinales (Pines & Allies)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Pinaceae (Pine Family)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Picea
Species	Castor canadensis	Picea sitchensis

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Sitka Spruce

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Sitka Spruce
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).

Sitka Spruce

Habitat

Typically found in temperate and boreal forests, often at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (14 countries), North America (Canada), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand).

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 9 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom