Eurasian beaver vs Small Emerald Spreadwing

Castor fiber compared with Lestes virens

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Small Emerald Spreadwing is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Small Emerald Spreadwing
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Odonata (Odonata)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Lestidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Lestes
Species	Castor fiber	Lestes virens

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Small Emerald Spreadwing share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Small Emerald Spreadwing

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Small Emerald Spreadwing
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.

Small Emerald Spreadwing

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, 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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇸🇪 Sweden