Canadian beaver vs Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum

Castor canadensis compared with Marmosa zeledoni

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Didelphimorphia (Didelphimorphia)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Didelphidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Marmosa
Species	Castor canadensis	Marmosa zeledoni

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum
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).

Zeledon’s Mouse Opossum

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Ecuador.

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.