Canadian beaver vs Western Thyme Plume

Castor canadensis compared with Merrifieldia tridactyla

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Western Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Western Thyme Plume
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Pterophoridae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Merrifieldia
Species	Castor canadensis	Merrifieldia tridactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Western Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Western Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Western Thyme Plume
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).

Western Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, and temperate grasslands and steppes, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (5 countries) and Europe (28 countries). 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 10 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇵🇱 Poland 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden