Eurasian Beaver - Differences From North American Beaver

Differences From North American Beaver

Although the Eurasian beaver appears superficially similar to the North American beaver, there are several important differences between the two species.

Aside from being the larger of the two species, the Eurasian beaver has the following anatomical differences to North American beaver: it has a larger, less rounded head; a longer, narrower muzzle; a narrower, less oval-shaped tail; shorter shin bones, making it less capable of bipedal locomotion than the North American species. The Eurasian beaver also has longer nasal bones, with the widest point being at the end of the snout; in the case of the North American beaver, the widest point is at the middle of the snout. The Eurasian beaver has a triangular nasal opening, unlike those of the North American beavers, which are square. Furthermore, the foramen magnum is rounded in the Eurasian beaver, but triangular in the North American beaver. The anal glands of the Eurasian beaver are larger, and thin-walled, with a large internal volume, relative to that of the North American beaver. The guard hairs of the Eurasian beaver have longer hollow medullas at their tips. There is also a difference in fur colour: overall, 66% of Eurasian beavers have beige or pale brown fur, 20% have reddish brown, nearly 8% are brown, and only 4% have blackish coats; in North American beavers, 50% have pale brown fur, 25% are reddish brown, 20% are brown, and 6% are blackish.

The two species are not genetically compatible. The North American beaver has 40 chromosomes, while the Eurasian beaver has 48. After more than 27 attempts, made in Russia, to hybridize the two species, the result was one stillborn kit from bred from the pairing of a male North American beaver and a female Eurasian beaver. The aforementioned factor makes interspecific breeding unlikely in areas where the two species' ranges overlap.