Wildlife of the World
Puzzle 31 · Northern Forests and Grasslands · Page 52 in print
Beaver Wetlands
Beaver dams turn streams into ponds and can raise the water table around them; the resulting wet ground and open water create new living space for many other plants and animals.
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A beaver lodge built of sticks rises above the water in Voyageurs National Park.
The lodge illustrates how beavers build shelter in wetlands.
NPS · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original recordImage changes
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A beaver works beside a snowy shore in Voyageurs National Park.
A beaver in its wetland setting.
NPS · Public domain (U.S. federal government work) · Original recordImage changes
Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.
The words
Airway
An opening through the top of a beaver lodge helps air circulate inside.
Aspen
Aspen is among the beaver's favourite trees.
Bank Dens
Homes dug into a river bank.
On large or swift streams beavers live in bank dens.
Beaver
The beaver is North America's largest rodent.
Canals
Beavers dig canals to float food back to the pond.
nps.gov (opens a new tab) · Animal Diversity Web (opens a new tab)
Castor
The beaver's scientific name refers to its castor glands.
Damming
Beavers dam streams to keep the water deep around the lodge.
nps.gov (opens a new tab) · Animal Diversity Web (opens a new tab)
Erosion
Beaver dams slow water and can help reduce the erosion of soil and stream banks.
Incisors
The upper incisors are bright orange and grow throughout life.
Kits
Baby beavers are called kits.
Lodge
The beaver family's stick-and-mud home.
The lodge has underwater tunnels and an airway.
Poplar
Poplar is among the beaver's favourite trees.
Scent Mound
Beavers mark territory with mud piles scented by their glands.
Tail Slap
Beavers warn of danger by slapping their tails on the water.
Trapping
By about 1900, trapping had almost wiped beavers out of many habitats.
Sources
- Beaver lodge and winter foodwww.nps.gov
- Beaver Wetlands (source capture)Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Beaver Wetlands (source capture)Alaska Department of Fish and Game