Beaver

Beaver

Beavers are famously busy, and they turn their talents to re-engineering the landscape as few other animals can. When sites are available, beavers burrow in the banks of rivers and lakes. But they also transform less suitable habitats by building dams. Felling and gnawing trees with their strong teeth and powerful jaws, they create massive log, branch, and mud structures to block streams and turn fields and forests into the large ponds that beavers love. Dome like beaver homes, called lodges, are also constructed of branches and mud. They are often strategically located in the middle of ponds and can only be reached by underwater entrances. These dwellings are home to extended families of monogamous parents, young kits, and the yearlings born the previous spring. There are two species of beavers, which are found in the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. These animals are active all winter, swimming and foraging in their ponds even when a layer of ice covers the surface.

Keywords to learn

Lodge: A beaver’s den

Gnaw: Bite at or nibble something persistently


About Me

Hey Kids, my name is Barrett the Beaver and I am very happy to meet you. Learn more about me and my species @ www.kids.nationalgeographic.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key data

  • Order:
    Rodentia.
  • Lifespan:
    Up to 24 years.
  • Class:
    Mammalia.
  • Scientific Name:
    Castor canadensis.
  • Mass:
    60 pounds.
  • Length:
    Head and body: 23 to 39 inches; tail: 7.75 to 12 inches.
  • Region found:
    North America.
  • Population Status:
    Least concern.
  • Current population trend:
    Stable.
  • Diet:
    Herbivore.
  • Sexual maturity:
    2-3 years

 

There are two species of beavers, which are found in the forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. These animals are active all winter, swimming and foraging in their ponds even when a layer of ice covers the surface.

 

Now that you know more about the Beaver by learning the key data above, be sure also to check out the fun facts. When you are finished learning the facts, try answering the questions in the Q&A corner on the bottom right side of the page.

 

Download questions about the Beaver here: Beaver (answers are on this page)

 

Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on the Beaver. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets

Beaver Fun Facts for Kids

  • # 1. Beavers are among the largest of rodents.
  • # 2. Beavers are herbivores and prefer to eat leaves, bark, twigs, roots, and aquatic plants.
  • # 3. Beavers move with an ungainly waddle on land but are graceful in the water, where they use their large, webbed rear feet like swimming fins, and their paddle-shaped tails like rudders. These attributes allow beavers to swim at speeds of up to five miles an hour.
  • # 4. Beavers remain underwater for 15 minutes without surfacing, and have a set of transparent eyelids that function much like goggles.
  • # 5. Beavers fur is naturally oily and waterproof.

Q&A Corner

  • #1.  Where does the Beaver live?
  • # 2. What is the average lifespan of the Beaver?
  • # 3. What is the population status of the Beaver?
  • # 4. What is the current population trend of the Beaver?
  • # 5.  What does a Beaver eat?

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