Eurasian beaver vs European pine marten

Castor fiber compared with Martes martes

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while European pine marten is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	European pine marten
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Mustelidae (Weasels & Otters)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Martes
Species	Castor fiber	Martes martes

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

European pine marten

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	European pine marten
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 pine marten

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

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

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.

European pine marten

European pine marten (Martes martes) is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List. Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild due to severe population decline and habitat loss.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden