Canadian beaver vs Eurasian beaver

Castor canadensis compared with Castor fiber

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Eurasian beaver is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Eurasian beaver
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Kordalılar)	Chordata (Kordalılar)
Class same	Mammalia (memeliler)	Mammalia (memeliler)
Order same	Rodentia (kemiriciler)	Rodentia (kemiriciler)
Family same	Castoridae (Beavers)	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus same	Castor (Beavers)	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Castor canadensis	Castor fiber

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Eurasian beaver share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Castor. (Beavers)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Eurasian beaver

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Eurasian beaver
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).

Eurasian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries). 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.

Eurasian beaver

Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List. Facing a high risk of endangerment in the wild, with declining populations and increasing habitat pressure.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden