Canadian beaver vs White-shouldered Smudge

Castor canadensis compared with Ypsolopha parenthesella

Key Differences

Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while White-shouldered Smudge is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	White-shouldered Smudge
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)	Ypsolophidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Ypsolopha
Species	Castor canadensis	Ypsolopha parenthesella

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and White-shouldered Smudge share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

View Kingdom: Animalia

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

White-shouldered Smudge

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	White-shouldered Smudge
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).

White-shouldered Smudge

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.