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Mammals: Beaver
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Beavers are primarily aquatic animals that have rich, glossy brown fur. They are known for their large central incisors that are constantly growing. Beavers keep their front teeth trimmed by gnawing on wood. Overgrown teeth can impair eating and ultimately cause starvation. Beavers can close both their ears and nose and have a clear protective cover for their eyes while underwater.
American beavers live in forested ponds, marshes, rivers, and wetlands in most of Canada and North America.
American beavers eat a nutritious layer of wood called the cambium that is located just below the bark of trees. Some of their favorites are beech, maple, willow, birch, alder, and aspen. They also eat aquatic vegetation, buds, and roots.
Beavers form monogamous pairs. They are extremely social and live in dens with four to eight related family members. Beavers are nocturnal, territorial, and slap their tails against the water to ward off intruders.
The beaver is the largest rodent in North America. It is the second largest in the world, after the capybara of South America.
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In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, beaver fur and meat was very popular. In fact, beaver pelts were used as a currency in the American West and even referred to as "soft gold." No animal has transformed the landscape and benefited wildlife as much as the beaver. Beavers dam streams, creating ponds for fish, turtles, frogs, and waterfowl. Eventually, the ponds fill up with sediment, creating meadows for rabbits, deer, and elk.
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