American water shrew vs Canadian beaver

Sorex palustris compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• American water shrew is Least Concern while Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American water shrew	Canadian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (प्राणी)	Animalia (प्राणी)
Phylum same	Chordata (रज्जुकी)	Chordata (रज्जुकी)
Class same	Mammalia (स्तनधारी)	Mammalia (स्तनधारी)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Rodentia (कृंतक)
Family	Soricidae	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Sorex	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Sorex palustris	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

American water shrew and Canadian beaver share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (स्तनधारी)

Conservation Status

American water shrew

LC — Least Concern

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American water shrew	Canadian beaver
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	15 years
Average Length	—	1.0 m
Average Weight	—	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

American water shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in United States.

Canadian beaver

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).

American water shrew

The American water shrew (Sorex palustris) is a species in the genus Sorex. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Canadian beaver

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States