North American Beaver By Natural Swamp Water Home Stock Photography

The North American beaver, Castor canadensis is native to North America and is one of the official national wildlife of Canada symbols and is the official state mammal of Oregon and New York. It is the largest rodent in the United States, growing from two to three feet plus the tail length. Beavers are semi-aquatic herbivores. They travel from water to land to collect and eat tree bark, leaves, roots, and wetland plants. They have dark-brown waterproof fur and webbed feet. Beavers live in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. They are one of the few animals that can actively change an ecosystem by blocking rivers and streams with trees and mud, creating new lakes, ponds, and floodplains. Beavers also build homes called lodges out of branches and mud, which can often only be accessed from underwater entrances in the ponds.