The North American Beaver

The Forest's Busy Engineer

The American Beaver is the largest rodent in North America and a master builder. They are famous for their flat, leathery tails and their ability to change the landscape by building dams. They are very hard workers and spend most of their time in or near the water.

RANGE

Beavers live almost everywhere in North America. You can find them from the very top of Canada and Alaska all the way down to the northern parts of Mexico. As long as there is a source of water and plenty of trees, a beaver can make a home there.

HABITAT

Beavers live in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. They are most famous for building "lodges," which are dome-shaped houses made of sticks and mud. Like the muskrat, the beaver builds a secret entrance underwater to stay safe from predators. If the water is not deep enough, they build a dam out of logs and mud to create their own private pond!

DIET

Beavers are herbivores, which means they only eat plants.

Bark and Twigs: Their favorite food is the soft inner bark of trees like aspen, willow, and birch.
Water Plants: In the summer, they love to munch on water lilies, clover, and pondweeds.
Winter Pantry: They stick branches into the mud at the bottom of the pond near their lodge. This "food cache" stays fresh in the cold water so they can eat all winter long without leaving the water.

SIZE & WEIGHT

Beavers are very large and sturdy. An adult beaver can be 3 to 4 feet long, including that big tail. They are quite heavy, usually weighing between 35 and 65 pounds. That is about the same as a medium-sized dog or a large bale of hay!

LIFE CYCLE

Beavers live in very close family groups called colonies.

Baby beavers are called kits.
A mother usually has 2 to 4 kits each spring.
Kits are born with all their fur and their eyes open. They can even swim inside the lodge within twenty-four hours!
They stay with their parents for about two years to learn how to build dams and cut down trees before they leave to start their own family.

PREDATORS

The Beaver is a master of the water, but it must always be on the lookout for danger when it leaves its pond. Wolves and coyotes are its most common predators, often hiding near the trails that the Beaver uses to carry heavy branches back to its lodge. Large cats like cougars or bobcats may also sneak up on a Beaver while it is busy cutting down trees on land. Even in the water, younger beaver kits must be careful of river otters, who are skilled swimmers and can sometimes find their way inside a lodge.

Amazing Adaptations

A beaver’s body is built like a specialized tool kit.

The Tail: Their flat tail acts like a rudder for steering in the water and a kickstand to help them balance while they sit up to chew on a tree.
Orange Teeth: Beavers have very strong front teeth that are orange because they contain iron! This makes them strong enough to chew through solid wood.
Built-in Goggles: They have clear eyelids that act like goggles so they can see perfectly underwater.

Animal Talk

How Do North American Beavers Communicate?

North American beavers may seem quiet, but they have several ways to communicate with their family. They use sounds, scents, and their famous tails to send messages to other beavers.

The Tail Slap: When startled or sensing danger, a beaver may slap its broad, flat tail against the surface of the water. The loud SPLASH! acts as an alarm that can alert other beavers nearby.
Whines & Grunts: Beavers make a variety of quieter sounds, including whines, grunts, and murmuring sounds. These vocalizations are especially useful when family members are close together in or around the lodge.
Kit Calls: Young beavers, called kits, can be surprisingly vocal! They make high-pitched whines, squeaks, and cries to communicate with their parents and other members of the family.

Fun Animal Talk Fact: A beaver's tail slap works especially well because sound and vibrations travel through the water, allowing the warning to reach family members that may not be looking in the same direction.

Respecting Wildlife

Beavers are "ecosystem engineers," which means they create homes for many other animals.

Helping Others: When a beaver builds a dam, it creates a wetland. This provides a home for ducks, frogs, and fish.
Tree Protection: If you have trees near a pond that you want to save, you can wrap the bottom of the trunk in heavy wire mesh. This lets the beaver know that those specific trees are not for chewing!
Road Safety: Sometimes beavers build dams near roads that can cause flooding. People use special pipes called "Beaver Deceivers" to control the water level so both the humans and the beavers stay happy and dry.