Eurasian beaver vs Window Gnat

Castor fiber compared with Sylvicola fenestralis

Key Differences

• Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable while Window Gnat is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Eurasian beaver	Window Gnat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Diptera (Diptera)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Anisopodidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Sylvicola
Species	Castor fiber	Sylvicola fenestralis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Window Gnat

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Eurasian beaver	Window Gnat
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.

Window Gnat

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

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