American Beaver
Facts
Also known as: Canadian Beaver
Conservation status: Least Concern
Location: North America, Canada
Lifespan: About 20 years
Also known as: Canadian Beaver
Conservation status: Least Concern
Location: North America, Canada
Lifespan: About 20 years
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Castoridae
Genus: Castor
Species: Canadensis
Binomial name: Castor Canadensis
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Castoridae
Genus: Castor
Species: Canadensis
Binomial name: Castor Canadensis
Description
Height: 1 m (3.3 ft) in total body length.
Weight: 15 to 35 kg (33 to 77 lb), with 20 kg (44 lb) a typical mass.
Other: Like the capybara, the beaver is semi-aquatic. The beaver has many traits suited to this lifestyle. It has a large flat paddle-shaped tail and large, webbed hind feet reminiscent of a human diver's swim fins. The unwebbed front paws are smaller, with claws. The eyes are covered by a Nictitating membrane which allows the beaver to see underwater. The nostrils and ears are sealed while submerged. A thick layer of fat under its skin insulates the beaver from its cold water environment.The beaver's fur consists of long, coarse outer hairs and short, fine inner hairs. The fur has a range of colours but usually is dark brown.
Height: 1 m (3.3 ft) in total body length.
Weight: 15 to 35 kg (33 to 77 lb), with 20 kg (44 lb) a typical mass.
Other: Like the capybara, the beaver is semi-aquatic. The beaver has many traits suited to this lifestyle. It has a large flat paddle-shaped tail and large, webbed hind feet reminiscent of a human diver's swim fins. The unwebbed front paws are smaller, with claws. The eyes are covered by a Nictitating membrane which allows the beaver to see underwater. The nostrils and ears are sealed while submerged. A thick layer of fat under its skin insulates the beaver from its cold water environment.The beaver's fur consists of long, coarse outer hairs and short, fine inner hairs. The fur has a range of colours but usually is dark brown.
Behaviour
Beavers are mainly active at night. They are excellent swimmers but are more vulnerable on land and tend to remain in the water as much as possible. They are able to remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. They use their flat, scaly tail both to signal danger by slapping the surface of the water and as a location for fat storage. They construct their homes, or "lodges," out of sticks, twigs, and mud in lakes, streams, and tidal river deltas. These lodges may be surrounded by water, or touching land, including burrows dug into river banks. They are well known for building dams across streams and constructing their lodge in the artificial pond which forms. When building in a pond, the beavers first make a pile of sticks and then eat out one or more underwater entrances and two platforms above the water surface inside the pile. The first is used for drying off. Towards winter, the lodge is often plastered with mud which when it freezes has the consistency of concrete. A small air hole is left in the top of the lodge.
Beavers are mainly active at night. They are excellent swimmers but are more vulnerable on land and tend to remain in the water as much as possible. They are able to remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. They use their flat, scaly tail both to signal danger by slapping the surface of the water and as a location for fat storage. They construct their homes, or "lodges," out of sticks, twigs, and mud in lakes, streams, and tidal river deltas. These lodges may be surrounded by water, or touching land, including burrows dug into river banks. They are well known for building dams across streams and constructing their lodge in the artificial pond which forms. When building in a pond, the beavers first make a pile of sticks and then eat out one or more underwater entrances and two platforms above the water surface inside the pile. The first is used for drying off. Towards winter, the lodge is often plastered with mud which when it freezes has the consistency of concrete. A small air hole is left in the top of the lodge.
Predators or Prey?
Common natural predators include gray wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions. Less significant predators include bears, which can dig into a lodge, wolverines, river otters, Canadian lynx, bobcats, and mink.
Common natural predators include gray wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions. Less significant predators include bears, which can dig into a lodge, wolverines, river otters, Canadian lynx, bobcats, and mink.
Diet
The inner bark, twigs, shoots and leaves of such trees are also an important part of the beaver's diet.
The inner bark, twigs, shoots and leaves of such trees are also an important part of the beaver's diet.
Habitat
Fresh water is the key to a beaver. Beavers build their dams in the fresh water. These fresh water ponds or rivers etc. are usually near or in forested areas , with a heavy cover of trees for camouflage.
Fresh water is the key to a beaver. Beavers build their dams in the fresh water. These fresh water ponds or rivers etc. are usually near or in forested areas , with a heavy cover of trees for camouflage.
Conservation
There is no need for conservation of the American Beaver. This is because the species is not threatened. There is a large population of American Beaver.
There is no need for conservation of the American Beaver. This is because the species is not threatened. There is a large population of American Beaver.
Reproduction
Beavers will mate for life. Although, if one dies, it will find another partner. Both the male and the female take part looking after the offspring. When young are born, they spend their first month in the lodge and their mother is there primary caretaker while their father maintains the territory. In the time after they leave the lodge for the first time, yearlings will help their parents build food caches in the fall and repair dams and lodges. Still, adults do the majority of the work and young beavers help their parents for reasons based on natural selection rather than kin selection. They are dependent on them for food and for learning life skills.[25] Young beavers spend most of their time playing but also copy their parents' behavior. However while copying behavior helps imprint life skills in young beavers it is not necessarily immediately beneficial for parents as the young beaver do not perform the tasks as well as the parents.
Beavers will mate for life. Although, if one dies, it will find another partner. Both the male and the female take part looking after the offspring. When young are born, they spend their first month in the lodge and their mother is there primary caretaker while their father maintains the territory. In the time after they leave the lodge for the first time, yearlings will help their parents build food caches in the fall and repair dams and lodges. Still, adults do the majority of the work and young beavers help their parents for reasons based on natural selection rather than kin selection. They are dependent on them for food and for learning life skills.[25] Young beavers spend most of their time playing but also copy their parents' behavior. However while copying behavior helps imprint life skills in young beavers it is not necessarily immediately beneficial for parents as the young beaver do not perform the tasks as well as the parents.
