capybara vs Eurasian beaver

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris compared with Castor fiber

Key Differences

• capybara is Least Concern while Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	capybara	Eurasian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order same	Rodentia (Rodents)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Caviidae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Hydrochoerus	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris	Castor fiber

Evolutionary Relationship

capybara and Eurasian beaver share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Rodents)

Conservation Status

capybara

LC — Least Concern

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	capybara	Eurasian beaver
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

capybara

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (Belgium, Norway, Poland), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Eurasian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

capybara

The Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is a species in the genus Hydrochoerus. It is currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Eurasian beaver

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway