Canadian beaver vs Whiskered Shadow Lichen

Castor canadensis compared with Phaeophyscia hispidula

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Whiskered Shadow Lichen is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Whiskered Shadow Lichen
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Caliciales (Caliciales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Physciaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Phaeophyscia
Species	Castor canadensis	Phaeophyscia hispidula

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Whiskered Shadow Lichen

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Whiskered Shadow Lichen
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).

Whiskered Shadow Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway and United States.

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.