Beaver

The semi-aquatic beaver is North America’s largest rodent and is common throughout the province.  Once hunted for its thick dark brown fur a typical adult is about 1m in length, weighing 25kg and possessing large webbed hind feet and smaller claw-like front feet.

Generally nocturnal, beavers are herbivores and feed on aquatic vegetation, leaves, buds, and inner bark of growing trees. However, their strong, gnawing teeth are otherwise expertly employed cutting wood to dam streams and create ponds that surround and protect their mud and twig homes or ‘lodges’.