Canadian beaver vs Eurasian water shrew

Castor canadensis compared with Neomys fodiens

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Eurasian water shrew is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Eurasian water shrew
Kingdom same	Animalia (động vật)	Animalia (động vật)
Phylum same	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)	Chordata (động vật có dây sống)
Class same	Mammalia (lớp Thú)	Mammalia (lớp Thú)
Order	Rodentia (Bộ Gặm nhấm)	Soricomorpha (Bộ Chuột chù)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Soricidae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Neomys
Species	Castor canadensis	Neomys fodiens

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Eurasian water shrew share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (lớp Thú)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Eurasian water shrew

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Eurasian water shrew
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 water shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and Sweden. Currently classified as Endangered 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 water shrew

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden