American beavers live throughout North America. They have brown fur and large, flat tails. They are among the most skilled builders in the animal kingdom. American beavers build structures called dams that stop flowing water. These dams help create wetlands. In fact, Native American people called the beaver the "sacred center" of the land, because beavers create rich habitat for so many species. Today, scientists view American beavers as the keystone species in wetland environments.
Ten Facts about American Beaver
- Beavers grow to be about 120 cm long, including the tail, and can weigh up to 43 kg.
- 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.
- Presently they are widely distributed through North America north of Mexico, excluding Florida, southern California, and southern Nevada.
- Beavers are dependent on slow-flowing brooks, streams, and rivers for dam construction, but they do also live in small lakes and fairly large rivers in Idaho.
- They prefer bark of deciduous trees such as aspen, willow, birch and even maple as well as various woody shrubs. They do not eat fish or other aquatic animals, which is contrary to what many people think.
- Beavers breed from mid-January to early June depending on whether they're in the south or northern part of their range.
- Gestation lasts 106 days which is much longer than for most rodents.
- Young are weaned in about 6 weeks.
- Young mature and disperse in 1.5 to 2 years.
