Beavers are incredible animals that live both in water and on land. They are the largest rodents in North America and the second largest in the world! Beavers are famous for their big, flat tails and their amazing skills in building dams and lodges.
Beavers love water and spend a lot of time there, but they also live on land. They are most active at night, which means they are nocturnal. Beavers like to stay near water because they move slowly on land and don’t see very well. To make it easier to get food safely, they sometimes dig special water paths called canals.
Beavers have strong front teeth that never stop growing. This helps them chew on wood without wearing their teeth down. Even though they chew on wood, they don’t eat it! Beavers eat leaves, twigs, the soft inside part of tree bark, shrubs, water plants, and grasses. Adult beavers can weigh over 55 pounds (25 kg) and live up to 24 years.
Beavers are very important for the places they live. They build dams with wood, mud, and stones to make ponds. These ponds keep them safe from predators and also become homes for many plants and animals. By cutting down trees and building dams, beavers change their surroundings, which helps many different kinds of living things thrive.
In the past, beavers were hunted a lot for their fur, which was used to make hats. This hunting caused their numbers to drop, and they disappeared from some areas in North America. But people realized how important beavers are for the environment, so they worked to bring them back to places where they were gone. Now, many beaver populations are doing well again.
Beavers are amazing animals that do a lot for their environment. They help create and take care of habitats, making sure many plants and animals have a place to live. It’s important to understand and protect beavers so they can keep helping the ecosystems they live in.
Build a Mini Dam: Gather some small sticks, leaves, and stones from your backyard or a nearby park. Use these materials to build a mini dam in a shallow tray or container filled with water. Observe how the water flows and discuss how beavers might use similar materials to build their dams in the wild. What happens to the water when you remove some of the sticks or stones?
Beaver Teeth Experiment: Beavers have strong teeth that help them chew wood. Try this experiment to understand how their teeth work. Take a piece of celery or a carrot and try to “chew” it using only your front teeth. How does it feel? Imagine how strong beaver teeth must be to chew through wood! Discuss why it’s important for beavers to have such strong teeth.
Beaver Habitat Observation: Next time you visit a park or a nature reserve, look for signs of beaver activity, such as gnawed tree trunks or small dams. If you can’t visit a park, watch a nature documentary about beavers. Discuss with your family or friends how beavers change their environment and why these changes are beneficial for other animals and plants.
