Beaver

The American beaver is a big, chunky rodent with thick brown fur, a broad flat tail, and a busy, hard-working nature. It is the largest rodent in all of North America, where it lives in rivers, streams, ponds, and quiet wetlands. Beavers are famous builders, and they change the world around them more than almost any other animal.

A beaver's teeth are one of its best tools. Its two big front teeth are bright orange and super strong, and they never stop growing. That is handy, because a beaver uses them to gnaw through the wood of trees all the time, which keeps the teeth worn down to just the right size.

Beavers are best known for building dams. They pile up branches, mud, and stones across a stream until the water backs up into a deep, calm pond. In the middle of the pond they build a cosy home called a lodge, with an underwater doorway that keeps them safe and dry inside. All winter they nibble bark, twigs, buds, and leaves.

Baby beavers are called kits. They are born already covered in soft fur with their eyes open, and they can paddle about in the water when they are only a day or two old. A family of beavers lives together and shares the work of fixing the dam and looking after the youngest kits.

Long ago, huge numbers of beavers were trapped for their warm fur, and they almost disappeared from many places. Happily, people helped them come back, and today beavers are doing well again. Their ponds make homes for frogs, fish, birds, and many other creatures, so a busy beaver helps a whole neighbourhood of wildlife.