Beavers are the largest "rodent" in the U.S., weighing in at from 40 to 95 pounds. They are a very furry animal with a wide flat tale resembling a paddle. Their fur is valued for being soft and shiny, and because it "wears" so well. Beaver fur is squeezed together with other kinds of fur to make a cloth called felt.
They live in rivers, streams, and freshwater lakes near wooded areas. They can swim underwater for 1/2-mile, and hold their breath for 15 minutes. Hardly any beavers were left in North America by the late 1800's, because of hunting pressure. By the 1980's, trappers in the US and Canada were taking about a million beaver a year.
4 of their 20 teeth are strong, curved front teeth called incisors, which are used for gnawing. The incisors are coated with a bright orange outer covering that is very hard. The back side of the incisors wears down more quickly than does the front, giving them a sharp chisel-like edge. The incisors never wear out because they continue to grow throughout the beavers entire life.
Beavers live in family groups, with as many as 12 making up a family; although 6 or fewer is common. They live up to about 12 years. They live with their parents until they are two, at which time they are driven out of the family unit. They eat the inner bark, twigs, leaves and roots of trees and shrubs. Poplar trees, especially aspens and cottonwoods, and willow trees are their favorites; as well as a variety of water plants. They anchor branches and logs in a "cache" under the water near their lodge, and feed off of it all winter. When cutting down trees, a beaver cannot control the direction the tree will fall. It cuts until the trunk starts to break, and then runs to safety. It hides until it's sure that the noise didn't attract any enemies, and then goes to work disassembling the tree, branch by branch.
Control measures are usually limited to calling in a professional. You can avoid damage to your trees by wrapping the trunks with a thick gauge fencing or cage building material. They are a protected fur-bearer, so I recommend calling me (If your beaver problem is IN town), or else the S.D. Game, Fish, & Parks Office or local State Trapper for solutions to beaver problems.
