Eurasian beaver vs mountain hare

Castor fiber compared with Lepus timidus

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while mountain hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	mountain hare
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)	Lepus
Species	Castor fiber	Lepus timidus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

mountain hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	mountain hare
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.

mountain hare

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. 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 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden