Eurasian beaver vs European bison

Castor fiber compared with Bison bonasus

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while European bison is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	European bison
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)	Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Bison
Species	Castor fiber	Bison bonasus

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and European bison share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

European bison

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	European bison
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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.

European bison

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine.

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 4 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden