Castor canadien vs loup

Castor canadensis compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Castor canadien is Not Evaluated while loup is Critically Endangered.
• Castor canadien is herbivore while loup is carnivore.
• loup is 1.8x heavier than Castor canadien.
• Castor canadien lives longer (15 years vs 13 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Castor canadien	loup
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mammifères)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (carnivores)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Castor canadensis	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Castor canadien and loup share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mammifères)

Conservation Status

Castor canadien

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

loup

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Castor canadien	loup
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	13 years
Average Length	1.0 m	1.6 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	45.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Castor canadien

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

loup

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Castor canadien

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.

loup

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States