Quick answer
Key facts about north american beaver — size, diet, habitat, and conservation in one place.
Dam building
Beavers cut trees with powerful incisors and weave branches into dams that raise water levels, protecting lodge entrances and creating ponds. These wetlands filter water, reduce flooding downstream, and provide habitat for hundreds of species — beavers are considered ecosystem engineers.
Lodges and family life
Beaver families live in dome-shaped lodges with underwater entrances. Kits are born in spring and stay with parents for up to two years, helping maintain dams and learn construction skills. Castoreum from scent glands marks territory.
Recovery from trapping
Beavers were trapped nearly to extinction for fur hats in the 1800s but rebounded after protection and reintroduction. Today they are Least Concern, though conflicts with landowners over flooded roads and timber prompt relocation or flow-device management in many states.
Keystone role
By slowing water and creating ponds, beavers increase biodiversity, store carbon in sediments, and improve drought resilience. Reintroduction projects in the UK and Europe aim to restore these benefits after centuries of local extinction.