Canadian beaver vs Common Dodder

Castor canadensis compared with Cuscuta gronovii

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is Not Evaluated while Common Dodder is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Common Dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (动物界)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum	Chordata (脊索动物门)	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)
Class	Mammalia (哺乳動物)	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)
Order	Rodentia (啮齿目)	Solanales (茄目)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Cuscuta
Species	Castor canadensis	Cuscuta gronovii

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Common Dodder
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).

Common Dodder

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

Canadian beaver

北美最大的啮齿动物加拿大河狸体重可达32公斤，是栖息于加拿大和美国北部河流、湖泊和湿地的杰出生态系统工程师。通过伐木和建造可达数百米的水坝形成水塘，为数百种物种提供生境。其巢穴和运河改变了整个流域。曾因毛皮贸易被猎杀至濒临灭绝，但种群已大幅恢复。

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 9 countries:

🇦🇹 Austria 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇦 Ukraine 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States