Beaver Control & Removal

The beaver, Castor canadensis, is a large aquatic rodent. It's the largest rodent in North America, with some specimens reaching up to 80 lbs. They have webbed toes for swimming, and a broad paddle tail for paddling. They have strong, sharp teeth, with which they chew down trees (up to 200 per year). They are excellent engineers, and build dams - in order to create pond habitat, lodges to live in, and canals to travel by. They eat wood and twigs and bark and sometimes leafy greens. They keep mates for life, and mate in winter and give birth to 3-4 young in late spring.

The North American Beaver - The Castor Canadensis or the North American Beaver is a beaver species, which is native to North America. In Canada and United States, there are no other species of beavers, so it is usually simply referred to as the beaver.

Description - The North American beaver happens to be the largest rodent in that part of the world and it is also the third largest worldwide. Adult beavers usually weigh between fifteen and thirty five kilograms. Beavers that are extremely old can weigh around forty five kilograms. It should be noted that the beaver is semi aquatic and to suit this lifestyle, it has large webbed hind feet and a large flat tail that is shaped like a paddle. Its front feet and not webbed and are, therefore, a bit smaller than the hind feet. A beaver’s eyes are covered with a nictitating membrane, which enables it to see under water. When the beaver is under water, its nostrils and ears are sealed, so as to prevent the entry of water. Given the fact that water is cold most of the time, the beaver has a thick layer of fat under its skin, which protects it from the cold. The beaver has often been described as having a double coat, since it has fine, short inner hairs and coarse long outer hairs. Also interesting to note is that the beaver has the capacity to water proof its fur, through the production of an oily substance referred to as castoreum.

Behavior - These animals are mostly active at night and are good swimmers. They tend to remain in water most of the time, because they are more vulnerable on land. According to research, beavers are able to remain submerged in water for up to fifteen minutes. Their tails are used for storage of fat and indication that there is danger. In case of danger, the beavers use their tails to slap the water surface, thus, warning others of the danger. Their houses are made out of twigs and mud. They might be surrounded by either land or water. However, it should be noted that beavers are known for constructing their houses in artificial ponds, by first constructing bridges across streams. After they have constructed their houses, they try to leave a small hole at the top. The twigs that are used to construct the dam and houses are got from trees, which they cut down with the help of their strong incisors. Beaver dams have been established to reduce soil erosion and reduce flooding.

Reproduction - These beavers are known to be monogamous and a pair can stay together for many breeding seasons. They mainly have one litter each year, which consists of an average of three kits. Their gestation period is 128 days. It should be noted that most beavers are not able to reproduce until they are three years old. However, 20% of beavers have also been seen to reproduce at the age of two. Overall, beavers are famous for building dams and houses out of trees that they cut down on their own.