Eurasian beaver vs Gharial

Castor fiber compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Gharial is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Castor fiber	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Gharial
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	60 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

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.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. 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.

Gharial

The gharial is a fish-eating crocodilian with a distinctive long, narrow snout. It is critically endangered with fewer than 700 adults.