Castor is a genus of beavers, family Castoridae, in the rodent suborder Castorimorpha, comprising two living species, the North American beaver and the Eurasian beaver. Beavers are large semiaquatic rodents, the second-largest living rodents after capybaras, weighing up to 50 kilograms and distinguished by long chisel-like incisors, webbed back feet and flat, scaly tails; the two species differ in skull shape, tail form and fur color. The North American species ranges through most of the United States and Canada and northern Mexico, with introduced populations in Finland, Russia and Patagonia, while the Eurasian species occurs across western, central and eastern Europe and western Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula, with small populations in Mongolia and northwestern China.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Member Species/Taxa Count Geographic Distribution Defining CharacteristicsStout bodies with large heads, long chisel-like incisors, brown or gray fur, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, and flat scaly tails 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceSecond-largest living rodents after capybaras, weighing up to 50 kg (110 lb) 1 Sources
1. Castor (genus) - Wikipedia
Scientific classification infobox, Genus row
Genus: Castor Linnaeus (1758)
Scientific classification infobox, Genus row, authority citation
Genus: Castor Linnaeus (1758)
Lead paragraph
There are two extant species: the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) and the Eurasian beaver (C. fiber).
Distribution and status section
Beavers (genus Castor) are large semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere.
Characteristics section, body description
They have stout bodies with large heads, long chisel-like incisors, brown or gray fur, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, and tails that are flat and scaly.
Characteristics section, size sentence
Beavers are the second-largest living rodents, after capybaras, weighing up to 50 kg (110 lb).
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