Canadian beaver vs Ecuadorian Cotton Rat

Castor canadensis compared with Sigmodon inopinatus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Ecuadorian Cotton Rat is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Ecuadorian Cotton Rat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (cordados)	Chordata (cordados)
Class same	Mammalia (mamíferos)	Mammalia (mamíferos)
Order same	Rodentia (Roedores)	Rodentia (Roedores)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Cricetidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Sigmodon
Species	Castor canadensis	Sigmodon inopinatus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Ecuadorian Cotton Rat share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Roedores)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Ecuadorian Cotton Rat

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Ecuadorian Cotton Rat
Diet	Herbivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	1.0 m	—
Average Weight	25.0 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).

Ecuadorian Cotton Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Canadian beaver

O maior roedor da América do Norte, o castor-canadense pode pesar até 32 kg e é um mestre engenheiro do ecossistema, habitando rios, lagos e áreas úmidas do Canadá e norte dos Estados Unidos. Ao derrubar árvores e construir barragens de até centenas de metros de comprimento, os castores criam lagoas que proporcionam habitat para centenas de espécies. Suas tocas e canais transformam bacias hidrográficas inteiras. Quase caçados até a extinção por sua pelagem, as populações de castor se recuperaram fortemente.