Castor canadensis

E739701

Castor canadensis, commonly known as the North American beaver, is a large, semi-aquatic rodent renowned for building dams and lodges that significantly shape freshwater ecosystems across much of North America.

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Statements (60)

Predicate Object
instanceOf rodent
species
activityPattern nocturnal
adaptation ever-growing incisors
valvular ears and nostrils
webbed hind feet
averageLitterSize 2–4 kits
bodyLength 74–90 centimeters
bodyMass 11–32 kilograms
canStayUnderwaterFor up to 15 minutes
chromosomeNumber 2n=40
class Mammalia
commonName American beaver
North American beaver NERFINISHED
describedBy Carl Linnaeus
diet herbivorous
distinguishedFrom Castor fiber by skull and tail morphology
eats aquatic plants
cambium
leaves
tree bark
twigs
ecologicalImpact creates wetlands
increases habitat complexity
modifies hydrology
ecologicalRole ecosystem engineer
economicUse castoreum
fur
family Castoridae NERFINISHED
furType dense waterproof fur
genus Castor NERFINISHED
habitat lakes
ponds
rivers
streams
wetlands
historicalImpact intensive fur trade in North America
introducedTo Asia NERFINISHED
Europe NERFINISHED
South America NERFINISHED
iucnStatus Least Concern
kingdom Animalia
lifespanInCaptivity up to 20 years
lifespanInWild 10–12 years
nativeTo Canada NERFINISHED
North America
United States NERFINISHED
notableFor dam building
ecosystem engineering
lodge construction
order Rodentia
parentTaxon Castor
phylum Chordata
reproduction viviparous
similarTo Castor fiber NERFINISHED
socialStructure family groups
monogamous pairs
tailType broad flattened tail
taxonRank species
yearDescribed 1758

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Beaver commonNameOf Castor canadensis
Beaver hasSpecies Castor canadensis
Castorimorpha notableMember Castor canadensis