This is a Canadian Beaver,Beavers are one of the largest rodents on earth! Beavers are social animals, living in large family groups of monogamous parents, young kits, and the yearlings from the previous spring.
-The average life span of a Beaver is 24 years Beavers live the longest out of the whole rodent family!
-An adult beaver is approximately 3 feet long.
-Adult beavers have long flat tails that are usually 1 foot long. They slap their tails on the water surface as an alarm to alert the colony when they sense danger.
-An adult beaver can way between 30 and 70 pounds.
-Female beavers are larger than males of the same age.
-Beavers are nocturnal creatures and they work very hard at night.
-Beaver can swim up to a surprising 5 miles per hour. The Latin name for a Beaver is Castor.
-The average life span of a Beaver is 24 years Beavers live the longest out of the whole rodent family!
-An adult beaver is approximately 3 feet long.
-Adult beavers have long flat tails that are usually 1 foot long. They slap their tails on the water surface as an alarm to alert the colony when they sense danger.
-An adult beaver can way between 30 and 70 pounds.
-Female beavers are larger than males of the same age.
-Beavers are nocturnal creatures and they work very hard at night.
-Beaver can swim up to a surprising 5 miles per hour. The Latin name for a Beaver is Castor.
FUN FACT
Beavers are monogamous animals who start families by mating every year and staying close to their young for several years after birth. These young, called kits, are born highly developed physically, and may even take to the water the very day they are born. Even so, they live with their parents and siblings for years before leaving the colony to start families of their own.
KITS AT BIRTH
When a kit is born, he is well-developed physically. His eyes open right away, and he has his teeth and his full coat of waterproof fur. Because the kit is so well-developed, he is able to start swimming on the day he is born, though he sticks to the water inside the family's lodge. The mother in the family may give birth to between one and six kits every year, typically between April and June.
AND LEARNING
Though a kit is born able to swim, he stays in or around the lodge for the first month of his life. A few days after his birth, he may leave the lodge with his mother or father to explore the area -- otherwise, he stays put until at least two weeks have passed, at which point he is fully weaned and can venture into the surrounding areas on his own. He learns how to build lodges by observing his parents and older siblings, and he develops his reflexes and strength by wrestling with his brothers and sisters. The family is tightly knit, and the beavers take turns grooming each other.
LIFE AT HOME
Members of a beaver family, or colony, are so close, a kit continues living with his parents for several years. A beaver lives in the lodge with his mother, father, brothers and sisters until he is about 2 years old, at which point he is not yet sexually mature enough to mate, but independent enough to leave the area and start building his own lodge using the skills he learned from his family. He won't start a family of his own until he is about 3 years old.
PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS
Unfortunately for the kit, his small size makes him highly vulnerable to woodland predators like bears and wolves -- at birth, he only weighs about 1 pound. Once he grows to adulthood, his significantly larger size -- as much as 70 pounds -- effectively deters predation. While he is a kit, though, he is equipped with the physical adaptations that make it easier for him to swim and evade predators, like webbed feet, a large, paddle like tail and a set of translucent eyelids that enable him to see under water.
BEAVER DAMS
Beaver dams are created as a protection against predators, such as coyotes, wolves and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers always work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth. Because of this, destroying a beaver dam without removing the beavers is difficult, especially if the dam is downstream of an active lodge. Beavers can rebuild such primary dams overnight, though they may not defend secondary dams as vigorously. (Beavers may create a series of dams along a river.Beaver dams are dams built by beavers to provide ponds as protection against predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. These structures modify the natural environment in such a way that the overall ecosystem builds upon the change, making beavers a keystone species. Beavers work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth. Beavers can rebuild primary dams overnight, though they may not defend secondary dams as vigorously.
FUN FACTS
Beavers have big bulky bodies, rounded heads, and small eyes and ears.
Beavers have dark brown fur and a large, flat, scaly tail. They also have large, orange front teeth. Beavers' hind feet are black and webbed.
These mammals can grow up to four feet long and weigh 60 pounds.
Beavers can be found just about anywhere there is water, including:marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.
Beavers are well-known for their construction. They build dams and lodges using sticks, branches, saplings, reeds, rocks, and mud. Dams can be forty feet long and ten feet high.
Lodges are dome-shaped homes, built up to six feet high. They have one or more underwater entrances, and a hollow area near the top where the Beavers live.
Beavers also make "scent mounds." Scent mounds are small one-foot tall piles of mud, sticks, sedges, and grass. Beavers leave their scent on the piles to mark their territory.
Beavers are monogamous animals who start families by mating every year and staying close to their young for several years after birth. These young, called kits, are born highly developed physically, and may even take to the water the very day they are born. Even so, they live with their parents and siblings for years before leaving the colony to start families of their own.
KITS AT BIRTH
When a kit is born, he is well-developed physically. His eyes open right away, and he has his teeth and his full coat of waterproof fur. Because the kit is so well-developed, he is able to start swimming on the day he is born, though he sticks to the water inside the family's lodge. The mother in the family may give birth to between one and six kits every year, typically between April and June.
AND LEARNING
Though a kit is born able to swim, he stays in or around the lodge for the first month of his life. A few days after his birth, he may leave the lodge with his mother or father to explore the area -- otherwise, he stays put until at least two weeks have passed, at which point he is fully weaned and can venture into the surrounding areas on his own. He learns how to build lodges by observing his parents and older siblings, and he develops his reflexes and strength by wrestling with his brothers and sisters. The family is tightly knit, and the beavers take turns grooming each other.
LIFE AT HOME
Members of a beaver family, or colony, are so close, a kit continues living with his parents for several years. A beaver lives in the lodge with his mother, father, brothers and sisters until he is about 2 years old, at which point he is not yet sexually mature enough to mate, but independent enough to leave the area and start building his own lodge using the skills he learned from his family. He won't start a family of his own until he is about 3 years old.
PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS
Unfortunately for the kit, his small size makes him highly vulnerable to woodland predators like bears and wolves -- at birth, he only weighs about 1 pound. Once he grows to adulthood, his significantly larger size -- as much as 70 pounds -- effectively deters predation. While he is a kit, though, he is equipped with the physical adaptations that make it easier for him to swim and evade predators, like webbed feet, a large, paddle like tail and a set of translucent eyelids that enable him to see under water.
BEAVER DAMS
Beaver dams are created as a protection against predators, such as coyotes, wolves and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers always work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth. Because of this, destroying a beaver dam without removing the beavers is difficult, especially if the dam is downstream of an active lodge. Beavers can rebuild such primary dams overnight, though they may not defend secondary dams as vigorously. (Beavers may create a series of dams along a river.Beaver dams are dams built by beavers to provide ponds as protection against predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. These structures modify the natural environment in such a way that the overall ecosystem builds upon the change, making beavers a keystone species. Beavers work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth. Beavers can rebuild primary dams overnight, though they may not defend secondary dams as vigorously.
FUN FACTS
Beavers have big bulky bodies, rounded heads, and small eyes and ears.
Beavers have dark brown fur and a large, flat, scaly tail. They also have large, orange front teeth. Beavers' hind feet are black and webbed.
These mammals can grow up to four feet long and weigh 60 pounds.
Beavers can be found just about anywhere there is water, including:marshes, ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.
Beavers are well-known for their construction. They build dams and lodges using sticks, branches, saplings, reeds, rocks, and mud. Dams can be forty feet long and ten feet high.
Lodges are dome-shaped homes, built up to six feet high. They have one or more underwater entrances, and a hollow area near the top where the Beavers live.
Beavers also make "scent mounds." Scent mounds are small one-foot tall piles of mud, sticks, sedges, and grass. Beavers leave their scent on the piles to mark their territory.