Fun Facts about Beavers
This page last updated Friday, 06-Jun-2008 04:35:43 BST
download these facts 
( word.doc - 519kb )
Beavers spend most of their lives in the water.They have webbed feet and powerful little legs which make swimming much easier.
photo above: A beaver swimming
The scientific name for the beaver is Castor Canadensis.
Beavers are vegetarians. They eat mainly bark and the soft tissue under the bark. Sometimes they eat water plants and roots.
photo above : A beaver eating
A beaver's teeth are constantly growing. They must be worn down by constantly chewing tree bark.
Young beavers are called kits.
Beavers have a clear eyelid that they can close to protect their eyes from any nasty debris floating in the water where they are swimming.
Beaver families usually stick together. Eight or ten related beavers will live together in the same lodge.
photo above : A beaver's lodge
When faced with danger, a beaver will slap it's tail against the surface of the water to warn other beavers in its colony.
Beavers build dams to slow down the speed of a river so that it won't wash away their home.
Beavers are amazing engineers. If the water is slow-moving, a beaver will build a dam straight. If the water in the river or stream is fast-flowing, it will build the dam on a curve, which will withstand the force of the water better.
Beaver kits usually stay with their parents for a year or two before going off to build their own lodge.
Beaver kits are born fully furred with their eyes wide open. They also have front teeth exposed and ready to chew and gnaw the tree bark.
Beavers have several entrances to their lodges. Most of these entrances are underwater.
Some beaver lodges are big enough to accomodate a human being.
Every autumn, beavers seal their lodge with a layer of mud. This freezes when winter sets in, protecting the beaver from its natural enemy the wolverine.
Beavers are nocturnal. This means they eat and work mostly at night, sleeping during the day in their lodge.
Now - why not try our QUIZ to see how well you can remember some of these facts