• The beaver is the largest rodent in North America. An adult can weigh between 40 and 95 lbs. They can live about 12 years. • Beavers eat the inner bark of a tree as high as they can reach and then they chip away at the tree with phenomenal front teeth that never stop growing. They can fell a tree five feet in diameter. A flap in the back of their mouth keeps them from swallowing splinters. • When the tree falls, beavers strip the inner bark that was previously out of reach. Branches are chewed off and carried to the water for use in the dam or lodge, or to be stashed as a winter supply of food. They fashion mud roads to their favorite lumbering grounds to make it easier to drag branches. If the trunk is too heavy to be easily moved, a canal may be constructed to float it down to the water. Canals can be 700 feet long. Beavers also build canals across peninsulas in the pond. • Dams are built by dragging trees to the stream and placing them with their big end upstream. They are weighted with mud and stones, and many layers are added. Beavers bring mud up from the bottom by scooping it up in their front paws and holding it against their chests. They can hold their breath underwater for 15 minutes. Beavers work hard to keep their dams in repair— a tough job when you consider that the dams can be several hundred feet in length. One Montana dam was over 2,000 feet long. • They build their lodges by constructing a cone of sticks on the bottom of the pond. Mud serves as plaster, and there's always a ventilation hole at the top.
• In a beaver lodge, several underwater entrances slope up to a living room that's above water level. It's carpeted with grasses, and can be big enough for a man to curl up in. • Beavers have to regulate the water level of the pond in order to keep their lodge from flooding or going dry, so they build locks and spillways. They build dams upstream and downstream to aid in flood control. • Beavers also keep themselves busy raising young. A typical beaver family consists of the parents, a bunch of newborns and several one-year-olds. The young stay with the parents for two years before being driven off to fend for themselves. There are usually 6 to 12 family members in each lodge. • The enamel on the teeth of a beaver is orange. Their eyelids are clear so they can see under water. Their ears and noses have valves that close to keep water out when the beaver is submerged. They also have an interior set of lips that close so the beaver can chew underwater without getting water in their mouths. They mate for life. • Their favorite trees to cut down include aspen and willow, which re-grow from the roots and become thicker after pruning. As the beaver ponds flood more meadows, more aspen and willows grow in the damp ground. And willow sticks will grow roots and sprout when placed in a beaver dam or lodge, helping to stabilize the area. • At one time beavers were common in Europe and parts of Asia, but now their territory is limited to parts of the U.S. and Canada. About half a million are trapped each year for their pelts and scent glands. Scent glands are used in perfume. Their under-fur is combined with wool and other animal fibers and compressed under steam in order to form felt.
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