Canadian beaver vs gray wolf

Castor canadensis compared with Canis lupus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while gray wolf is Critically Endangered.
• Canadian beaver is herbivore while gray wolf is carnivore.
• gray wolf is 1.8x heavier than Canadian beaver.
• Canadian beaver lives longer (15 years vs 13 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	gray wolf
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)	Carnivora (bộ Ăn thịt)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)
Species	Castor canadensis	Canis lupus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and gray wolf share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (lớp Thú)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

gray wolf

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~300.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	gray wolf
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	13 years
Average Length	1.0 m	1.6 m
Average Weight	25.0 kg	45.0 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).

gray wolf

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, deserts and xeric shrublands, and tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Seychelles), Asia (Japan), Europe (5 countries), North America (7 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Vanuatu), and South America (5 countries). Currently classified as Critically 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.

gray wolf

The most widely distributed wild canid, gray wolves range from North America across Eurasia in diverse habitats including tundra, forests, and grasslands. Highly social animals living in family packs led by a dominant breeding pair. As keystone predators, wolves regulate prey populations and profoundly shape ecosystem structure, as demonstrated by their reintroduction in Yellowstone. Once heavily persecuted, populations are recovering in many regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇳🇴 Norway 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States