Beaver Basics
Beaver Benefits
Create diverse habitats and ecosystems
Increase biodiversity
Promote salmon/trout recovery
Regulate stream flows
Stop flooding
Prevent soil erosion
Improve water quality, acts as the "Earth's Kidneys"
Replenish drinking water aquifers
Stabilize the water table
Repair eroded stream channels
Restore watershed health
Improve water quality
Information provided by the Beaver Institute
Frequently Asked Questions
Do beavers live in their dams?
No, beavers live in lodges or dens. Dams are built by beavers to slow water and create ponds.
What are lodges? How do I spot one?
Beavers construct lodges out of branches and can look similar to their dam. The lodge serves as a den for their kits, a place to sleep, and a safe place to eat.
Do beavers eat fish?
No, beavers are vegetarians. They eat herbaceous plants such as cattails, water lilies, or other aquatic vegetation, and the leaves and inner bark of woody plants.
What is the familial structure?
Beavers mate for life. They are mammals and produce 1-6 offspring, or kits, every spring. Once the kits are old enough, usually 2 years old, they will venture off on their own.
Are beavers nocturnal?
Yes, beavers are typically active at night.
Do beavers hibernate?
No, they are very active in the wintertime. They need a pond that is deep enough to swim under the ice to access their lodge.
Can beavers live on a prairie?
Yes, beavers can construct their dams and lodges using thin willow stems and marsh plants. (See our Nachusa Grasslands Project).
Websites
Non-profit Beaver Institute https://www.beaverinstitute.org/
Worth a Dam https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/
Beavers Wetland and Wildlife https://www.beaversww.org/
Beaver Trust https://beavertrust.org/
The Beaver Lodge https://www.beaversmatter.org/
Glenview Beaver Fan Club https://www.glenviewbeaversfanclub.com/
Videos
Intro to beaver
Articles
Books
Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why the Matter By Ben Goldfarb. Buy book HERE
Once They Were Hats: In Search of the Mighty Beaver by Frances Backhouse Buy book HERE
Bringing Back the Beaver by Derek Gow Buy the book here
Beavers by the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska FREE PDF
Nature's Architect: The beaver's return to our wild landscapes by Jim Crumley
Saving the Dammed: Why we need beaver-modified ecosystems by Ellen Wohl
Dam Builders: The natural history of beavers and their ponds by Michael Runtz
The American Beaver by Lewis H. Morgan
The Beaver: Its life and impact by
The Beaver by Edward Royal Warren
The Beaver Manifesto by Glynnis Hood