Canadian beaver vs wild boar

Castor canadensis compared with Sus scrofa

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while wild boar is Least Concern.
• Canadian beaver is herbivore while wild boar is omnivore.
• wild boar is 3.2x heavier than Canadian beaver.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	wild boar
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Artiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Suidae (Pigs)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Sus (Pigs)
Species	Castor canadensis	Sus scrofa

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and wild boar share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

wild boar

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	wild boar
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	15 years
Average Length	1.0 m	1.5 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	80.0 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).

wild boar

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (5 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (12 countries), North America (14 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (8 countries).

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.

wild boar

The ancestor of domestic pigs, wild boars are robust, omnivorous ungulates weighing up to 200 kg, found from Western Europe through Asia and North Africa in diverse habitats including forests, wetlands, and grasslands. Highly adaptable and prolific breeders, they have become invasive in many regions including North America and Australia. Their rooting behavior disturbs soil and vegetation, influencing forest structure and seed germination significantly.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 10 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States