Eurasian beaver vs Giant Polypore

Castor fiber compared with Meripilus giganteus

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Giant Polypore is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Giant Polypore
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Polyporales (Polyporales)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Meripilaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Meripilus
Species	Castor fiber	Meripilus giganteus

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Giant Polypore

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Giant Polypore
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.

Giant Polypore

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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:

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