25 Interesting Facts About Beavers

Beavers are extraordinary animals that are unlike any other creatures on Earth. These mammals spend a significant amount of time in the water, build complex structures, and gnaw on trees with such skill that even professional lumberjacks might envy them.

Facts About Beavers:

1. The family of these animals is not large. It includes only two species: the European beaver and the Canadian beaver.
2. Beavers were once considered fish! At least, that’s what Catholic monks claimed for a long time. This was likely done intentionally so they could enjoy beaver meat during fasting periods. Since beavers spend most of their time underwater, they were classified as fish.
3. The beaver is the largest rodent in Europe. In the world, it holds the second place of honor, with only the capybara, which inhabits South and Central America, being larger.
4. In Eastern Europe, beavers were hunted specifically for their fur about 1,000 years ago. As a result, by the 20th century, these rodents were on the brink of extinction. Fortunately, their population has been restored.
5. Hunting beavers in Russia was a practice that spanned many centuries, but not all hunters had the right to do so. Those who did were called “bobrovniki” (beaver hunters).
6. Beavers’ winter food stores, made up of branches, can reach up to 70 cubic meters in volume for a single family.
7. Scientists have observed that the shape of a beaver dam depends on the speed of the water flow: where the flow is slow, the dam is straight, and where it is fast, the dam is curved towards the flow.
8. The beaver’s tail serves as a rudder, a temperature regulator, and an emotional indicator. If a beaver is angry, it slaps its tail.
9. The natural predators of river beavers are wolves, brown bears, and foxes, but the greatest threat to their population is humans, who hunt beavers for their valuable fur and meat.
10. To build their dams, beavers fell trees by gnawing at the base from all sides. A beaver can fell an aspen or willow with a diameter of 7 centimeters in five to ten minutes, while a tree with a diameter of up to half a meter can take a beaver an entire night.
11. Beaver kits typically stay with their parents until they are at least two years old.
12. Beavers have transparent eyelids, allowing them to swim underwater with their eyes closed while still being able to navigate their surroundings.
13. Beavers meticulously process fallen trees—separating the branches, cutting the trunk into several pieces, and floating them to their lodge or dam.
14. Beavers are strict vegetarians. Their primary diet consists of the bark and shoots of shoreline trees.
15. An adult beaver can consume food in a single day that weighs 20% of its own body weight.
16. Beavers mark their territory with a secretion called “castoreum,” produced by their musk glands. The scent of each beaver is unique, like human fingerprints.
17. A typical beaver family occupies a territory of 2-3 square kilometers.
18. These amazing animals are found on only two continents: Eurasia and North America.
19. On small rivers and streams, beavers build dams to raise the water level and protect their lodges. Otherwise, their homes would end up on dry land, making them vulnerable to predators.
20. The weight of an adult beaver can reach 25-30 kilograms, comparable to that of a seven- or eight-year-old child.
21. The two existing species of beavers in the world cannot interbreed, despite their similar appearance.
22. The claw on their second toe is split in two for more convenient grooming of their fur.
23. By the beginning of winter, up to 50% of a beaver’s body fat is concentrated in its tail, whereas in the summer, it only holds 15%.
24. The body length of an adult beaver can reach 100-130 centimeters, including the tail.
25. Beavers can stay underwater for 10–15 minutes, covering distances of up to 500-750 meters during that time.