Canadian beaver vs sun shell

Castor canadensis compared with Astraea heliotropium

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while sun shell is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	sun shell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Gastropoda (Gastropoda)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Trochida (Trochida)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Turbinidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Astraea
Species	Castor canadensis	Astraea heliotropium

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and sun shell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

sun shell

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	sun shell
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).

sun shell

Habitat

Typically found in terrestrial and aquatic habitats including forests and freshwater.

Range

Found in 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.