Eurasian beaver vs Spotted Shag

Castor fiber compared with Phalacrocorax punctatus

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Spotted Shag is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Spotted Shag
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Suliformes (Suliformes)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Phalacrocoracidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Phalacrocorax
Species	Castor fiber	Phalacrocorax punctatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Eurasian beaver and Spotted Shag share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Spotted Shag

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Spotted Shag
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.

Spotted Shag

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Found in Norway.

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 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway