Eurasian beaver vs Mexican cottontail

Castor fiber compared with Sylvilagus cunicularius

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Mexican cottontail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Mexican cottontail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Sylvilagus
Species	Castor fiber	Sylvilagus cunicularius

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Mexican cottontail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Mexican cottontail
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.

Mexican cottontail

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.