Beaver is among the largest rodents in the world. There are two species of beavers: American and Eurasian.
It has thick fur, webbed feet and flattened, scale covered tails. It is a semiaquatic species, which can swim 5 miles per hour and spend 15 minutes under water without returning to the surface for air.
It uses its powerful jaws and strong teeth to fell trees and build homes and dams, which act as channels to control the ow of water in a stream or lake.
It eats leaves, roots and bark from aspens, willows, maples and poplar trees. It also eats aquatic plants.
Beavers float small trees and branches through canals to the stream where they are building their lodge. The lodge can have several underwater entrances to keep out predators, with a large dry room inside that is used as a nursery and haven. The living area is well insulated by the lodge and surrounding water, so the temperature is considerably warmer inside the lodges than outside.
Beavers are generally beneficial to the environment. They are instrumental in creating habitats for many aquatic organisms, maintaining the water table at an appropriate level and controlling flooding and erosion, all by building dams.
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