Eurasian beaver vs Northern Dart

Castor fiber compared with Xestia alpicola

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Northern Dart is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Northern Dart
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Noctuidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Xestia
Species	Castor fiber	Xestia alpicola

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Northern Dart share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Northern Dart

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Northern Dart
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.

Northern Dart

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across 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 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden