How big does a North American beaver get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown North American beaver (Castor canadensis) reaches an average size of 75.7 cm (2′ 6″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 15 years, they grow from 415 grams (0.91 lbs) to 18.11 kg (39.93 lbs). Talking about reproduction, North American beavers have 3 babies about 1 times per year. The North American beaver (genus: Castor) is a member of the family Castoridae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two extant beaver species (the other being the Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber). It is native to North America and introduced in South America (Patagonia) and Europe (primarily Finland and Karelia). In the United States and Canada, the species is often referred to simply as “beaver”, though this causes some confusion because another distantly related rodent, Aplodontia rufa, is often called the “mountain beaver”. Other vernacular names, including American beaver and Canadian beaver, distinguish this species from the other extant beaver species, Castor fiber, which is native to Eurasia. The North American beaver is an official animal symbol of Canada and is the official state mammal of Oregon.
Animals of the same family as a North American beaver
We found other animals of the Castoridae family:
- Eurasian beaver with 2 babies per litter
Animals with the same size as a North American beaver
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as North American beaver:
- Crab-eating fox with a size of 65 cm (2′ 2″)
- Siberian musk deer with a size of 90 cm (3′ 0″)
- African golden cat with a size of 79.9 cm (2′ 8″)
- Grizzled tree-kangaroo with a size of 71.7 cm (2′ 5″)
- Coyote with a size of 87.5 cm (2′ 11″)
- Ursine tree-kangaroo with a size of 62.4 cm (2′ 1″)
- Black-backed jackal with a size of 70.9 cm (2′ 4″)
- Side-striped jackal with a size of 74.7 cm (2′ 6″)
- Red fox with a size of 62.9 cm (2′ 1″)
- Kirk’s dik-dik with a size of 65.5 cm (2′ 2″)
Animals with the same litter size as a North American beaver
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a North American beaver:
- Greater red musk shrew
- Rakali
- Nine-banded armadillo
- Western red-backed vole
- Black-tailed dasyure
- Cameroon soft-furred mouse
- Mountain pygmy possum
- South American coati
- Trowbridge’s shrew
- Savanna gerbil
Animals with the same life expectancy as a North American beaver
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a North American beaver:
- Giant otter with an average maximal age of 12.83 years
- Fennec fox with an average maximal age of 14.58 years
- Nyala with an average maximal age of 16 years
- Equatorial saki with an average maximal age of 14.83 years
- Red slender loris with an average maximal age of 16.33 years
- Mountain pygmy possum with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Mountain reedbuck with an average maximal age of 12.25 years
- Malayan civet with an average maximal age of 12 years
- Black-crested Sumatran langur with an average maximal age of 16 years
- Silvery marmoset with an average maximal age of 16.75 years
Animals with the same weight as a North American beaver
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Castor canadensis:
- Chacma baboon with a weight of 17.73 kilos (39.09 lbs)
- Guinea baboon with a weight of 18.03 kilos (39.75 lbs)
- Bornean yellow muntjac with a weight of 18.87 kilos (41.6 lbs)
- Bay duiker with a weight of 20 kilos (44.09 lbs)
- Oribi with a weight of 17.16 kilos (37.83 lbs)
- Dorcas gazelle with a weight of 15.57 kilos (34.33 lbs)
- Indian muntjac with a weight of 17.51 kilos (38.6 lbs)
- Collared peccary with a weight of 21.19 kilos (46.72 lbs)
- Ogilby’s duiker with a weight of 18.29 kilos (40.32 lbs)
- Swamp wallaby with a weight of 15 kilos (33.07 lbs)