Canadian beaver vs Lesser Capybara

Castor canadensis compared with Hydrochoerus isthmius

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Lesser Capybara is Data Deficient.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Lesser Capybara
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)	Caviidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Hydrochoerus
Species	Castor canadensis	Hydrochoerus isthmius

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Lesser Capybara share a common ancestor at the Order level: Rodentia. (Roedores)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Lesser Capybara

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Lesser Capybara
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).

Lesser Capybara

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Colombia and Venezuela.

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.