Those who knows the Cengage is the chemistry guyBeavers (genus Castor) are large,

semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the
North American beaver (Castor canadensis) and the Eurasian beaver (C. fiber).
Beavers are the second-largest living rodents, after capybaras, weighing up to 50
kg (110 lb). They have stout bodies with large heads, long chisel-like incisors,
brown or gray fur, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, and tails that are flat
and scaly. The two species differ in skull and tail shape and fur color. Beavers
can be found in a number of freshwater habitats, such as rivers, streams, lakes and
ponds. They are herbivorous, consuming tree bark, aquatic plants, grasses and
sedges.

Beavers build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks and mud; they
chew down trees for building material. Dams restrict water flow, forming ponds, and
lodges (usually built in ponds) serve as shelters. Their infrastructure creates
wetlands used by many other species, and because of their effect on other organisms
in the ecosystem, beavers are considered a keystone species. Adult males and
females live in monogamous pairs with their offspring. After their first year, the
young help their parents repair dams and lodges; older siblings may also help raise
newly born offspring. Beavers hold territories and mark them using scent mounds
made of mud, debris, and castoreum�a liquid substance excreted through the beaver's
urethra-based castor sacs. Beavers can also recognize their kin by their anal gland
secretions and are more likely to tolerate them as neighbors.

Historically, beavers have been hunted for their fur, meat, and castoreum.
Castoreum has been used in medicine, perfume, and food flavoring; beaver pelts have
been a major driver of the fur trade. Before protections began in the 19th and
early 20th centuries, overhunting had nearly exterminated both species. Their
populations have since rebounded, and they are listed as species of least concern
by the IUCN Red List of mammals. In human culture, the beaver symbolizes
industriousness, especially in connection with construction; it is the national
animal of Canada.

Etymology
The English word beaver comes from the Old English word beofor or befor and is
connected to the German word biber and the Dutch word bever. The ultimate origin of
the word is an Indo-European root for 'brown'.[2] Cognates of beaver are the source
for several European placenames, including those of Beverley, Bi�vres, Biberbach,
Biebrich, Bibra, Bibern, Bibrka, Bobr, Bober, B�brka, Bjurholm, Bjur�lven, and
Bjurum.[3] The genus name Castor has its origin in the Greek word ??st?? kastor and
translates as 'beaver'.[4]

Taxonomy
Carl Linnaeus coined the genus name Castor as well as the specific (species)
epithet fiber for the Eurasian species.[5] German zoologist Heinrich Kuhl coined C.
canadensis in 1820.[6] Many scientists considered both names synonymous for one
same species[7][8] until the 1970s, when chromosomal evidence became available
confirming both as separate where the Eurasian has 48 chromosomes, while the North
American has 40. The difference in chromosome numbers prevents them from
interbreeding.[9] Twenty-five subspecies have been classified for C. canadensis,
and nine have been classified for C. fiber.[5][6]

There are two extant species: the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) and the
Eurasian beaver (C. fiber). The Eurasian beaver is slightly longer and has a more
lengthened skull, triangular nasal cavities (as opposed to the square ones of the
North American species), a lighter fur color, and a narrower tail.[10]

Evolution
North American Beaver on a river bank
North American beaver (Castor canadensis)
A Eurasian Beaver gnawing on a branch
Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber)
Castorimorpha
Castoroidea
Castoridae
Agnotocastor coloradensis

Agnotocastor praetereadens

Anchitheriomys sp.

Castorinae (modern beavers)

Castoroidinae

Agnotocastor sp.

Migmacastor procumbodens

Palaeocastorinae

Geomyoidea
Heteromyidae (kangaroo rats and allies)

Geomyidae (gophers)

Phylogeny of extant and extinct relatives of modern beavers based on genetics and
morphology.[11][12]
Beavers belong to the rodent suborder Castorimorpha, along with Heteromyidae
(kangaroo rats and kangaroo mice), and the gophers. Modern beavers are the only
extant members of the family Castoridae. They originated in North America in the
late Eocene and colonized Eurasia via the Bering Land Bridge in the early
Oligocene, coinciding with the Grande Coupure, a time of significant changes in
animal species around 33 million years ago (myr).[13][14]

The more basal castorids had several unique features: more complex occlusion
between cheek teeth, parallel rows of upper teeth, premolars that were only
slightly smaller than molars, the presence of a third set of premolars (P3), a hole
in the stapes of the inner ear, a smooth palatine bone (with the palatine opening
closer to the rear end of the bone), and a longer snout. More derived castorids
have less complex occlusion, upper tooth rows that create a V-shape towards the
back, larger second premolars compared to molars, absence of a third premolar set
and stapes hole, a more grooved palatine (with the opening shifted towards the
front), and reduced incisive foramen. Members of the subfamily Palaeocastorinae
appeared in late-Oligocene North America. This group consisted primarily of smaller
animals with relatively large front legs, a flattened skull, and a reduced tail�all
features of a fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle.[14]

In the early Miocene (about 24?mya), castorids evolved a semiaquatic lifestyle.

Members of the subfamily Castoroidinae are considered to be a sister group to
modern beavers, and included giants like Castoroides of North America and
Trogontherium of Eurasia.[12][14] Castoroides is estimated to have had a length of
1.9�2.2 m (6.2�7.2 ft) and a weight of 90�125 kg (198�276 lb).[15] Fossils of one
genus in Castoroidinae, Dipoides, have been found near piles of chewed wood,[12]
though Dipoides appears to have been an inferior woodcutter compared to Castor.
Researchers suggest that modern beavers and Castoroidinae shared a bark-eating
common ancestor. Dam and lodge-building likely developed from bark-eating, and
allowed beavers to survive in the harsh winters of the subarctic. There is no
conclusive evidence for this behavior occurring in non-Castor species.[16]
The genus Castor likely originated in Eurasia.[17] The earliest fossil remains
appear to be C. neglectus, found in Germany and dated 12�10 mya.[18] Mitochondrial
DNA studies place the common ancestor of the two living species at around 8 mya.
The ancestors of the North American beaver would have crossed the Bering Land
Bridge around 7.5 mya.[17] Castor may have competed with members of Castoroidinae,
which led to niche differentiation.[19] The fossil species C. praefiber was likely
an ancestor of the Eurasian beaver.[20] C. californicus from the Early Pleistocene
of North America was similar to but larger than the extant North American beaver.
[21]'

Characteristics
see caption
Mounted North American beaver skeleton.
Beavers are the second-largest living rodents, after capybaras. They have a
head�body length of 80�120 cm (31�47 in), with a 25�50 cm (10�20 in) tail, a
shoulder height of 30�60 cm (12�24 in), and generally weigh 11�30 kg (24�66 lb),[8]
but can be as heavy as 50 kg (110 lb). Males and females are almost identical
externally.[22] Their bodies are streamlined like marine mammals and their robust
build allows them to pull heavy loads.[23][24] A beaver coat has 12,000�23,000
hairs/cm2 (77,000�148,000 hairs/in2) and functions to keep the animal warm, to help
it float in water, and to protect it against predators. Guard hairs are 5�6 cm
(2.0�2.4 in) long and typically reddish brown, but can range from yellowish brown
to nearly black. The underfur is 2�3 cm (0.8�1.2 in) long and dark gray. Beavers
molt every summer.[8][25]

Beavers have large skulls with powerful chewing muscles. They have four chisel-
shaped incisors that continue to grow throughout their lives. The incisors are
covered in a thick enamel that is colored orange or reddish-brown by iron
compounds.[26][27] The lower incisors have roots that are almost as long as the
entire lower jaw. Beavers have one premolar and three molars on all four sides of
the jaws, adding up to 20 teeth. The molars have meandering ridges for grinding
woody material.[28] The eyes, ears and nostrils are arranged so that they can
remain above water while the rest of the body is submerged. The nostrils and ears
have valves that close underwater, while nictitating membranes cover the eyes. To
protect the larynx and trachea from water flow, the epiglottis is contained within
the nasal cavity instead of the throat. In addition, the back of the tongue can
rise and create a waterproof seal. A beaver's lips can close behind the incisors,
preventing water from entering their mouths as they cut and bite onto things while
submerged.[29][30]

Illustration of a fore foot, a hind foot showing webbing, and the tail of a beaver
The fore foot, hind foot, and tail of a beaver.

Beaver tail and footprints on snow.

The beaver's front feet are dexterous, allowing them to grasp and manipulate
objects and food, as well as dig. The hind feet are larger and have webbing between
the toes, and the second innermost toe has a "double nail" used for grooming.[30]
[31] Beavers can swim at 8 km/h (5 mph);[24] only their webbed hind feet are used
to swim, while the front feet fold under the chest.[30] On the surface, the hind
limbs thrust one after the other; while underwater, they move at the same time.[32]
Beavers are awkward on land but can move quickly when they feel threatened. They
can carry objects while walking on their hind legs.[23][30]

The beaver's distinctive tail has a conical, muscular, hairy base; the remaining
two-thirds of the appendage is flat and scaly. The tail has multiple functions: it
provides support for the animal when it is upright (such as when chewing down a
tree), acts as a rudder when it is swimming, and stores fat for winter. It also has
a countercurrent blood vessel system which allows the animal to lose heat in warm
temperatures and retain heat in cold temperatures.[33]

The beaver's sex organs are inside the body, and the male's penis has a
cartilaginous baculum. They have only one opening, a cloaca, which is used for
reproduction, scent-marking, defecation, and urination. The cloaca evolved
secondarily, as most mammals have lost this feature, and may reduce the area
vulnerable to infection in dirty water. The beaver's intestine is six times longer
than its body, and the caecum is double the volume of its stomach.[34]
Microorganisms in the caecum allow them to process around 30 percent of the
cellulose they eat.[23] A beaver defecates in the water, leaving behind balls of
sawdust. Female beavers have four mammary glands; these produce milk with 19
percent fat, a higher fat content than other rodents. Beavers have two pairs of
glands: castor sacs, which are part of the urethra, and anal glands. The castor
sacs secrete castoreum, a liquid substance used mainly for marking territory. Anal
glands produce an oily substance which the beaver uses as a waterproof ointment for
its coat. The substance plays a role in individual and family recognition. Anal
secretions are darker in females than males among Eurasian beavers, while the
reverse is true for the North American species.[35]

Beaver swimming
Eurasian beaver swimming.
Compared to many other rodents, a beaver's brain has a hypothalamus that is much
smaller than the cerebrum; this indicates a relatively advanced brain with higher
intelligence. The cerebellum is large, allowing the animal to move within a three-
dimensional space (such as underwater) similar to tree-climbing squirrels. The
neocortex is devoted mainly to touch and hearing. Touch is more advanced in the
lips and hands than the whiskers and tail. Vision in the beaver is relatively poor;
the beaver eye cannot see as well underwater as an otter. Beavers have a good sense
of smell, which they use for detecting land predators and for inspecting scent
marks, food, and other individuals.[36]

Beavers can hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes but typically remain
underwater for no more than five or six minutes.[37] Dives typically last less than
30 seconds and are usually no more than 1 m (3 ft 3 in) deep.[38] When diving,
their heart rate decreases to 60 beats per minute, half its normal pace, and blood
flow is directed more towards the brain. A beaver's body also has a high tolerance
for carbon dioxide. When surfacing, the animal can replace 75 percent of the air in
its lungs in one breath, compared to 15 percent for a human.[30][37]

Distribution and status

A beaver at the shores of a lake
North American beaver in Yellowstone National Park.
The IUCN Red List of mammals lists both beaver species as least concern.[39][40]
The North American beaver is widespread throughout most of the United States and
Canada and can be found in northern Mexico. The species was introduced to Finland
in 1937 (and then spread to northwestern Russia) and to Tierra del Fuego,
Patagonia, in 1946.[39] As of 2019, the introduced population of North American
beavers in Finland has been moving closer to the habitat of the Eurasian beaver.
[41] Historically, the North American beaver was trapped and nearly extirpated
because its fur was highly sought after. Protections have allowed the beaver
population on the continent to rebound to an estimated 6�12 million by the late
20th century; still far lower than the originally estimated 60�400 million North
American beavers before the fur trade.[42] The introduced population in Tierra del
Fuego is estimated at 35,000�50,000 individuals as of 2016.[39]

The Eurasian beaver's range historically included much of Eurasia, but was
decimated by hunting by the early 20th century. In Europe, beavers were reduced to
fragmented populations, with combined population numbers being estimated at 1,200
individuals for the Rh�ne of France, the Elbe in Germany, southern Norway, the
Neman river and Dnieper Basin in Belarus, and the Voronezh river in Russia. The
beaver has since recolonized parts of its former range, aided by conservation
policies and reintroductions. Beaver populations now range across western, central,
and eastern Europe, and western Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula.[40]
Beginning in 2009, beavers have been successfully reintroduced to parts of Great
Britain.[43] In 2020, the total Eurasian beaver population in Europe was estimated
at over one million.[44] Small native populations are also present in Mongolia and
northwestern China; their numbers were estimated at 150 and 700, respectively, as
of 2016.[40] Under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996,
beavers are classed as a "prohibited new organism" preventing them from being
introduced into the country.[45]

Ecology
Duration: 59 seconds.0:59
Eurasian beavers swimming and foraging.
Beavers live in freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.
Water is the most important component of beaver habitat; they swim and dive in it,
and it provides them refuge from land predators. It also restricts access to their
homes and allows them to move building objects more easily. Beavers prefer slower
moving streams, typically with a gradient (steepness) of one percent, though they
have been recorded using streams with gradients as high as 15 percent. Beavers are
found in wider streams more often than in narrower ones. They also prefer areas
with no regular flooding and may abandon a location for years after a significant
flood.[46]

Beavers typically select flat landscapes with diverse vegetation close to the
water. North American beavers prefer trees being 60 m (200 ft) or less from the
water, but will roam several hundred meters to find more. Beavers have also been
recorded in mountainous areas. Dispersing beavers will use certain habitats
temporarily before finding their ideal home. These include small streams, temporary
swamps, ditches, and backyards. These sites lack important resources, so the
animals do not stay there permanently. Beavers have increasingly settled at or near
human-made environments, including agricultural areas, suburbs, golf courses, and
shopping malls.[47]

Beaver in water eating lily pads

North American beaver eating lily pads.
Beavers have an herbivorous and a generalist diet. During the spring and summer,
they mainly feed on herbaceous plant material such as leaves, roots, herbs, ferns,
grasses, sedges, water lilies, water shields, rushes, and cattails. During the fall
and winter, they eat more bark and cambium of woody plants; tree and shrub species
consumed include aspen, birch, oak, dogwood, willow and alder.[8][48][49][23] There
is some disagreement about why beavers select specific woody plants; some research
has shown that beavers more frequently select species which are more easily
digested,[50] while others suggest beavers principally forage based on stem size.
[51] Beavers may cache their food for the winter, piling wood in the deepest part
of their pond where it cannot be reached by other browsers. This cache is known as
a "raft"; when the top becomes frozen, it creates a "cap".[23][8] The beaver
accesses the raft by swimming under the ice. Many populations of Eurasian beaver do
not make rafts, but forage on land during winter.[8]

Beavers usually live up to 10 years. Felids, canids, and bears may prey upon them.
Beavers are protected from predators when in their lodges, and prefer to stay near
water. Parasites of the beaver include the bacteria Francisella tularensis, which
causes tularemia; the protozoan Giardia duodenalis, which causes giardiasis (beaver
fever); and the beaver beetle and mites of the genus Schizocarpus.[52][53] They
have also been recorded to be infected with the rabies virus.[54]

Infrastructure
"Beaver lodge" redirects here. For the town in Alberta, Canada, see Beaverlodge.
Further information: Beaver dam
Beaver chewing through a tree trunk
North American beaver chewing down a tree.
Beavers need trees and shrubs to use as building material for dams, which restrict
flowing water to create a pond for them to live in, and for lodges, which act as
shelters and refuges from predators and the elements. Without such material,
beavers dig burrows into a bank to live. Dam construction begins in late summer or
early fall, and they repair them whenever needed. Beavers can cut down trees up to
15 cm (6 in) wide in less than 50 minutes. Thicker trees, at 25 cm (10 in) wide or
more, may not fall for hours.[55] When chewing down a tree, beavers switch between
biting with the left and right side of the mouth. Tree branches are then cut and
carried to their destination with the powerful jaw and neck muscles. Other building
materials, like mud and rocks, are held by the forelimbs and tucked between the
chin and chest.[56]

Beavers start building dams when they hear running water, and the sound of a leak
in a dam triggers them to repair it.[57] To build a dam, beavers stack up
relatively long and thick logs between the banks. Heavy rocks keep them stable, and
grass is packed between them. Beavers continue to pile on more material until the
dam slopes in a direction facing upstream. Dams can range in height from 20 cm (8
in) to 3 m (10 ft) and can stretch from 0.3 m (0.98 ft) to several hundred meters
long. Beaver dams are more effective in trapping and slowly leaking water than man-
made concrete dams. Lake-dwelling beavers do not need to build dams.[58]

see caption
Open-water beaver lodge in Canada.
Beavers make two types of lodges: bank lodges and open-water lodges. Bank lodges
are burrows dug along the shore and covered in sticks while the more complex
freestanding, open-water lodges are built over a platform of piled-up sticks. The
lodge is mostly sealed with mud, except for a hole at the top which acts as an air
vent. Both types are accessed by underwater entrances.[23][59] The above-water
space inside the lodge is known as the "living chamber", and a "dining area" may
exist close to the water entrance.[8] Families routinely clean out old plant
material and bring in new material.[60]

North American beavers build more open-water lodges than Eurasian beavers. Beaver
lodges built by new settlers are typically small and sloppy. More experienced
families can build structures with a height of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) and an above-water
diameter of 6 m (20 ft). A lodge sturdy enough to withstand the coming winter can
be finished in just two nights. Both lodge types can be present at a beaver site.
During the summer, beavers tend to use bank lodges to keep cool and use open-water
lodges during the winter. The air vent provides ventilation, and newly added carbon
dioxide can be cleared in an hour. The lodge remains consistent in oxygen and
carbon dioxide levels from season to season.[61]

Beavers in some areas will dig canals connected to their ponds. The canals fill
with groundwater and give beavers access and easier transport of resources, as well
as allow them to escape predators. These canals can stretch up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in)
wide, 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) deep, and over 0.5 km (0.3 mi) long. It has been
hypothesized that beavers' canals are not only transportation routes but an
extension of their "central place" around the lodge and/or food cache.[49][62] As
they drag wood across the land, beavers leave behind trails or "slides", which they
reuse when moving new material.[23]

Environmental effects
Main article: Environmental impacts of beavers
Beaver dam enlargement
September 2009

December 2009
Images of a beaver dam over a four-month period. Dams block rivers and create
ponds.
The beaver works as an ecosystem engineer and keystone species, as its activities
can have a great impact on the landscape and biodiversity of an area. Aside from
humans, few other extant animals appear to do more to shape their environment.[63]
When building dams, beavers alter the paths of streams and rivers, allowing for the
creation of extensive wetland habitats.[64] In one study, beavers were associated
with large increases in open-water areas. When beavers returned to an area, 160%
more open water was available during droughts than in previous years, when they
were absent.[65] Beaver dams also lead to higher water tables in mineral soil
environments and in wetlands such as peatlands. In peatlands particularly, their
dams stabilize the constantly changing water levels, leading to greater carbon
storage.[66]

Beaver ponds, and the wetlands that succeed them, remove sediments and pollutants
from waterways, and can stop the loss of important soils.[67][68] These ponds can
increase the productivity of freshwater ecosystems by accumulating nitrogen in
sediments.[63] Beaver activity can affect the temperature of the water; in northern
latitudes, ice thaws earlier in the warmer beaver-dammed waters.[69] Beavers may
contribute to climate change. In Arctic areas, the floods they create can cause
permafrost to thaw, releasing methane into the atmosphere.[70][71]

As wetlands are formed and riparian habitats are enlarged, aquatic plants colonize
the newly available watery habitat.[63] One study in the Adirondacks found that
beaver engineering lead to an increase of more than 33 percent in herbaceous plant
diversity along the water's edge.[72] Another study in semiarid eastern Oregon
found that the width of riparian vegetation on stream banks increased several-fold
as beaver dams watered previously dry terraces adjacent to the stream.[73] Riparian
ecosystems in arid areas appear to sustain more plant life when beaver dams are
present.[74] Beaver ponds act as a refuge for riverbank plants during wildfires,
and provide them with enough moisture to resist such fires.[75] Introduced beavers
at Tierra del Fuego have been responsible for destroying the indigenous forest.
Unlike trees in North America, many trees in South America cannot grow back after
being cut down.[76][77]

Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) jumping a beaver dam.

Beaver activity impacts communities of aquatic invertebrates. Damming typically
leads to an increase of slow or motionless water species, like dragonflies,
oligochaetes, snails, and mussels. This is to the detriment of rapid water species
like black flies, stoneflies, and net-spinning caddisflies.[63][78][79] Beaver
floodings create more dead trees, providing more habitat for terrestrial
invertebrates like Drosophila flies and bark beetles, which live and breed in dead
wood.[63][80][81] The presence of beavers can increase wild salmon and trout
populations, and the average size of these fishes. These species use beaver
habitats for spawning, overwintering, feeding, and as havens from changes in water
flow. The positive effects of beaver dams on fish appear to outweigh the negative
effects, such as blocking of migration.[82] Beaver ponds have been shown to be
beneficial to frog populations by protecting areas for larvae to mature in warm
water.[83] The stable waters of beaver ponds also provide ideal habitat for
freshwater turtles.[84]

Beavers help waterfowl by creating increased areas of water. The widening of the
riparian zone associated with beaver dams has been shown to increase the abundance
and diversity of birds favoring the water's edge, an impact that may be especially
important in semi-arid climates.[85] Fish-eating birds use beaver ponds for
foraging, and in some areas, certain species appear more frequently at sites where
beavers were active than at sites with no beaver activity.[63][86][87] In a study
of Wyoming streams and rivers, watercourses with beavers had 75 times as many ducks
as those without.[88] As trees are drowned by rising beaver impoundments, they
become an ideal habitat for woodpeckers, which carve cavities that may be later
used by other bird species.[63][86] Beaver-caused ice thawing in northern latitudes
allows Canada geese to nest earlier.[69]

Other semi-aquatic mammals, such as water voles, muskrats, minks, and otters, will
shelter in beaver lodges.[63] Beaver modifications to streams in Poland create
habitats favorable to bat species that forage at the water surface and "prefer
moderate vegetation clutter".[89] Large herbivores, such as some deer species,
benefit from beaver activity as they can access vegetation from fallen trees and
ponds.[63]

Behavior

North American beaver family, with the center pair grooming one another.

Eurasian beaver parent and kit.

Beavers are mainly nocturnal and crepuscular, and spend the daytime in their
shelters. In northern latitudes, beaver activity is decoupled from the 24-hour
cycle during the winter, and may last as long as 29 hours. They do not hibernate
during winter, and spend much of their time in their lodges.[8][23][90]

Family life
The core of beaver social organization is the family, which is composed of an adult
male and an adult female in a monogamous pair and their offspring.[8][30] Beaver
families can have as many as ten members; groups about this size require multiple
lodges.[91] Mutual grooming and play fighting maintain bonds between family
members, and aggression between them is uncommon.[30]

Adult beavers mate with their partners, though partner replacement appears to be
common. A beaver that loses its partner will wait for another one to come by.
Estrus cycles begin in late December and peak in mid-January. Females may have two
to four estrus cycles per season, each lasting 12�24 hours. The pair typically mate
in the water and to a lesser extent in the lodge, for half a minute to three
minutes.[92]

Up to four young, or kits, are born in spring and summer, after a three or four-
month gestation.[30][93] Newborn beavers are precocial with a full fur coat, and
can open their eyes within days of birth.[23][30] Their mother is the primary
caretaker, while their father maintains the territory.[8] Older siblings from a
previous litter also play a role.[94]

After they are born, the kits spend their first one to two months in the lodge.
Kits suckle for as long as three months, but can eat solid food within their second
week and rely on their parents and older siblings to bring it to them. Eventually,
beaver kits explore outside the lodge and forage on their own, but may follow an
older relative and hold onto their backs.[30] After their first year, young beavers
help their families with construction.[8] Beavers sexually mature around 1.5�3
years.[23] They become independent at two years old, but remain with their parents
for an extra year or more during times of food shortage, high population density,
or drought.[95][96]

Territories and spacing

A beaver on a water bank
Eurasian beaver near its dam.
Beavers typically disperse from their parental colonies during the spring or when
the winter snow melts. They often travel less than 5 km (3 mi), but long-distance
dispersals are not uncommon when previous colonizers have already exploited local
resources. Beavers are able to travel greater distances when free-flowing water is
available. Individuals may meet their mates during the dispersal stage, and the
pair travel together. It may take them weeks or months to reach their final
destination; longer distances may require several years.[97][98] Beavers establish
and defend territories along the banks of their ponds, which may be 1�7 km (0.6�4.3
mi.......
Communication
Beavers within a family greet each other with whines. Kits will attract the
attention of adults with mews, squeaks, and cries. Defensive beavers produce a
hissing growl and gnash their teeth.[30] Tail slaps, which involve an animal
hitting the water surface with its tail, serve as alarm signals warning other
beavers of a potential threat. An adult's tail slap is more successful in alerting
others, who will escape into the lodge or deeper water. Juveniles have not yet
learned the proper use of a tail slap, and hence are normally ignored.[105][106]
Eurasian beavers have been recorded using a territorial "stick display", which
involves individuals holding up a stick and bouncing in shallow water.[107]

Interactions with humans

Black and white photo of a man feeding a beaver
Grey Owl feeding his beaver.
Beavers sometimes come into conflict with humans over land use; individual beavers
may be labeled as "nuisance beavers". Beavers can damage crops, timber stocks,
roads, ditches, gardens, and pastures via gnawing, eating, digging, and flooding.
[23] They occasionally attack humans and domestic pets, particularly when infected
with rabies, in defense of their territory, or when they feel threatened.[108] Some
of these attacks have been fatal, including at least one human death.[109][110]
[111] Beavers can spread giardiasis ('beaver fever') by infecting surface waters,
[53] though outbreaks are more commonly caused by human activity.[112]

Flow devices, like beaver pipes, are used to manage beaver flooding, while fencing
and hardware cloth protect trees and shrubs from beaver damage. If necessary, hand
tools, heavy equipment, or explosives are used to remove dams.[113][114] Hunting,
trapping, and relocation may be permitted as forms of population control and for
removal of individuals.[23] The governments of Argentina and Chile have authorized
the trapping of invasive beavers in hopes of eliminating them.[76] The ecological
importance of beavers has led to cities like Seattle designing their parks and
green spaces to accommodate the animals.[115] The Martinez beavers became famous in
the mid-2000s for their role in improving the ecosystem of Alhambra Creek in
Martinez, California.[116]

Zoos have displayed beavers since at least the 19th century, though not commonly.
In captivity, beavers have been used for entertainment, fur harvesting, and for
reintroduction into the wild. Captive beavers require access to water, substrate
for digging, and artificial shelters.[117] Archibald Stansfeld "Grey Owl" Belaney
pioneered beaver conservation in the early 20th century. Belaney wrote several
books, and was first to professionally film beavers in their environment. In 1931,
he moved to a log cabin in Prince Albert National Park, where he was the "caretaker
of park animals" and raised a beaver pair and their four offspring.[118]

Commercial use