Sunday 10 September 2000

North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)

OTHER NAMES: Beaver, Canadian Beaver
Latin Etymology:  Castor (Greek: "beaver") canadensis ("of Canada")

Adult North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) at Saskatoon Lake, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 11-32kg  /  Length: 94-125cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern

After the two species of Capybara, the two Beaver species tie for largest rodent in the world, and have achieved this through a distinctive and famous set of lifestyle choices. They are supreme habitat engineers which fell trees using their powerful incisors and use them to construct dams to create deep bodies of water where they can stay safe from predators via lodges with underwater entrances. As they also feed on trees, they can also store trees underwater as a larder. Despite being extensively hunted for their pelts in recent history, their population has rebounded widely and quickly.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Castoridae
Genus: Castor 
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CANADA -Present everywhere but the Tundra
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta and British Columbia


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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