Perhaps even more than the cultural impacts , the stripping of beavers from forests and streams altered the landscape and ecosystems in astonishing ways . When most of us look at a clear , fast running stream , we think of it as clean and natural . But pre-contact , when beaver were abundant , many streams and stream valleys would have had multiple beaver dams with ponds , and wetlands , and messy threads of stream twisting and reconnecting . To our modern eyes , it would look chaotic and unkempt — and indeed , that ’ s often the case today when you see a successful beaver dam that ’ s been in place long enough . You ’ ll find wet ground everywhere , your feet sinking deeper into muck as you approach the pond . But those wetlands provide habitat for aquatic insects , and those ponds provide water for abundant animals , and those wetland and aquatic plants provide food for all sorts of critters . Beaver ponds also hold back sediment and reduce erosion . Because the flow of water is slowed , the ponds recharge aquifers and raise the water table — something that will become even more important as our warming climate triggers wilder swings , from drought to floods and back to drought again . In the arid western expanses of America , beaver dams and the wetlands and ponds they produce actually help create fire breaks when wildfires burn over the land — and provide a temporary sanctuary for wildlife fleeing those fires .
Like humans , beavers create major modifications to their environment . That makes them a keystone species ; an animal that holds an ecosystem together , that has an outsized impact on it . Their presence versus their absence enormously influences riparian habitat .
The beavers themselves are curious critters . Those notable four teeth in the front of their mouths — two upper and two lower incisors — never stop growing . Their orange color is caused by all the iron in the enamel , a fortifying feature that ’ s vital when you ’ re chewing through trees ! Those inimitable tails — broad ,
Like humans , beavers create major modifications to their environment . That makes them a keystone species ; an animal that holds an ecosystem together , that has an outsized impact on it . Their presence versus their absence enormously influences riparian habitat .
flat and scaly — hold fat reserves and act as a rudder when they ’ re swimming underwater and they function as a prop when they are working upright on land , chewing at trees . Plus , they are an important communication tool ; slapped loudly on the water ’ s surface , they alert other beavers when danger is present . Adult beavers are 3-4 feet long , including that peerless tail . They generally weigh 40-60 pounds , though the Smithsonian ’ s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute records that the largest beaver on record weighed in at a hefty 110 pounds ! Estimates on how long they live seem to vary greatly ; as short as 5-6 years , and as long as 8-12 years . Their fur is thick and waterproof , with that dense undercoat and a top layer of longer hairs . Their hind feet are webbed for swimming , with a unique second toe , called a preening toe , that they use for combing their fur to maintain its insulating properties . While beavers are slow and vulnerable to predators on land , they can swim as fast as 6 mph underwater , and hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes . Their eyes also have a thin , clear membrane that covers them when they are submerged . Their eyesight is relatively poor , but they can hear really well and have a strong sense of smell . Near their tails they have oil glands — helpful for waterproofing — as well as scent glands . The latter produces a secretion called castoreum that they mix with urine for scent-marking their territory . People also value that pungent substance ; it ’ s been used to create a vanilla-like flavoring for foods , and as a perfume fixative . An expensive product , it ’ s still collected today for the latter use .
Beavers can be found in every county in Maryland . They ’ re monogamous , breed in January-February and birth a litter of 2-5 kits in May or early June . Newborns can swim almost immediately and can start eating vegetation when they ’ re just three weeks old . The family group often includes the young from the previous year ’ s litter who will help raise their younger siblings , leaving when they are about two years old , and the next litter is arriving .
Eating leaves , woody stems and aquatic plants , beavers are herbivores . Their preferred foods —
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