Both the platypus and the beaver are semi-aquatic animals. While both of them are mammals, they do not belong to the same family because beavers are rodents, but a platypus is an egg-laying mammal.
Beavers are the second largest rodents next to the capybaras. A platypus, on the other hand, is somewhat a cross between a bird and a mammal. A platypus also has reptile features, but the beaver does not.
Platypus vs Beaver Comparison Chart
| Feature | Platypus | Beaver |
| 1. Scientific Name | Ornithorhynchus anatinus | Castor canadensis |
| 2. Size | The average length is between 17 and 20 inches; it can weigh up to 5.3 pounds | The average length is between 31 and 43 inches; it can weigh up to 60 pounds |
| 3. Colors | Mostly dark brown | Yellowish to brown and black |
| 4. Range | Australia | North America, Eurasia |
| 5. Hunting Behavior | Hunts for food | Does not hunt |
| 6. Liter Size | One to two eggs | One to four |
| 7. Pet Behavior | No; they are endangered | No; they are wild |
| 8. Aggression | Not aggressive | Can be aggressive |
| 9. Life Expectancy | 20 years | 16 years |
| 10. Diet | Carnivorous | Herbivores |
Platypus Overview
The platypus, which a lot of people call the duckbill, is endemic to Australia. Some people call it the beaver-tailed platypus.
It is a mammal, but it lays eggs. A male platypus is also venomous. Its hind feet have sharp stingers, and a hit from it can deliver a toxic sting.
A platypus likes to live in freshwater habitats. They are bottom-feeders, and they are carnivores. They swim with their tails and have webbed feet that help them steer underwater.
This mammal is versatile underwater. It can stay in a dive for two minutes before going back to the surface to breathe.
Beaver Overview
A beaver is a type of rodent, and it is one of the largest in the world. The beaver is most famous for its ability to make dams.
Beavers have powerful jaws and incisors. They use their teeth to gnaw n trees until the trees fall. As such, they can change their environment.
Beavers create a dam so they can make a lodge. The ponds they build help protect them from predators. The beavers do not live in these dams at all.
Platypusvs Beaver
Appearance
The platypus is an amazing creature as it has the features of mammals, birds, and reptiles. It has a streamlined body with a flat beak that looks like a duck’s.
Its tail is broad and flat and looks similar to the tail of a beaver. Its feet are webbed, which is uncommon for many mammals but common for many types of fowl. The platypus has no feathers, but it has a thick fur.
The beaver is a large animal that some consider as pest. They have a thick fur, the shade of which can range between reddish-brown and black fur. It has small eyes, but its body is stocky.
A beaver, being a rodent, has large incisors. The front teeth are often yellowish, and these teeth never stop growing. Because of that, the beaver has to chew trees everyday to prevent to wear the teeth down.
Habitat
A platypus lives in rivers, wetlands, and on some occasions, brackish waters. The platypus is usually found in eastern Australia. Some can live as far as Queensland and Tasmania.
Beavers on the other hand, live in Asia, Europe, and most of North America. There are only two species of beavers remaining today, and one can find them as far north as Canada.
Eurasian beavers are rare. They live in small populations in Germany, France, and Russia. Beavers were hunted down, and it is what led to the decline of their population.
Aggression
A platypus, despite being a bottom-feeding carnivore, is not aggressive. However, it does have a venomous sting that can be fatal to small animals. The venom can even kill a dog.
Beavers, on the other hand, are a different story. They are strong, and they can be aggressive. Beavers in the wild are aggressive. They have been known to bite and even kill people.
Beavers are also territorial. If a person finds himself in beaver territory, the rodents will attack with no hesitation. Some beavers have rabies, and it is when the beaver becomes really dangerous.
Diet
The platypus survives by eating small animals. They eat shrimps, insect larvae, and also crayfish. They are mostly active at dawn and at dusk.
The platypus has a sensitive bill. Even if the platypus closes its eyes, it can detect electrical current and movement in the water. It is this ability that allows it to hunt for food.
Beavers are herbivores. They eat leaves and even woody stems. If there are aquatic plants in their territory, these plants become part of their diet.
The preferred building material of the beaver is also its favorite food. They like gnawing on trees like poplar, aspen, willow, and birch.
Can a Platypus and a Beaver Mate?
No, these two animals cannot mate. They are too far off in the evolution tree.
Here are their respective orders:
- Platypus – Monotremata Bonaparte
- Beaver – Rodentia
The order itself is too far apart, so interbreeding can never happen. Can beavers interbreed with other beavers?
Not likely. The Eurasian beaver has 48 chromosomes. The American one only has 40. Because of this vast difference, these two animals cannot possibly interbreed.
Can the beaver interbreed with other animals? No, it cannot. The beaver is the only remaining Castoridaegenus. The two extant beavers cannot even interbreed.
All other rodents belong to a different genus. While the gopher may resemble a beaver, its genus is
Geomys Rafinesque. Since the genus is different, they cannot interbreed.
Summary
Both platypus and beavers are mammals. However, the platypus lays eggs while the beaver gives live birth. Both can have a life expectancy of up to 16 to 20 years. A platypus is endangered, and it is endemic to Australia. Beavers are found in North America and Eurasia. These two animals cannot interbreed, as they belong to different families or orders.
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