Canadian beaver vs Small Emerald Spreadwing

Castor canadensis compared with Lestes virens

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Small Emerald Spreadwing is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Small Emerald Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Lestidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Lestes
Species	Castor canadensis	Lestes virens

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Small Emerald Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Small Emerald Spreadwing

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Small Emerald Spreadwing
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).

Small Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, 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 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 🇸🇪 Sweden