Eurasian beaver vs Medusa Brittlestem

Castor fiber compared with Psathyrella caput-medusae

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Medusa Brittlestem is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Medusa Brittlestem
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Psathyrellaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Psathyrella
Species	Castor fiber	Psathyrella caput-medusae

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Medusa Brittlestem

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Medusa Brittlestem
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.

Medusa Brittlestem

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Currently classified as 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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden