Canadian beaver vs Polar bear

Castor canadensis compared with Ursus maritimus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Polar bear is Vulnerable.
• Canadian beaver is herbivore while Polar bear is carnivore.
• Polar bear is 18.0x heavier than Canadian beaver.
• Polar bear lives longer (25 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Polar bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Rodentia (hewan pengerat)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Castor canadensis	Ursus maritimus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Polar bear share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamalia)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Polar bear

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~26.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Polar bear
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	25 years
Average Length	1.0 m	2.4 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	450.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

Polar bear

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 4 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.

Polar bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth, polar bears can exceed 700 kg and are found across Arctic sea ice from Canada to Russia. Highly specialized marine mammals that rely on sea ice to hunt ringed and bearded seals. Excellent swimmers capable of covering vast distances in open water. Listed as Vulnerable, with populations under severe pressure from rapid Arctic sea ice loss due to climate change.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway