American beaver Castor canadensis

American beaver Castor canadensis

American beaver Castor Canadensis

Habitat American beaver Castor Canadensis

Management Practices

Beavers are mainly active at night.

They are excellent swimmers and may

remain submerged for up to 15 minutes.

More vulnerable on land, they tend to re-

main in the water as much as possible.

They use their flat, scaly tail both to sig-

nal danger by slapping the surface of the

water and as a location for fat storage. It

also serves as a rudder for these fast

swimmers.

American beaver Castor canadensis

The most distinct characteristic of beaver scat is

where you find it. It is small, cylindrical scat,

about 1.5- to 2.5-inches long.

Beaver droppings are usually deposited in the

water or underground in one of their elaborate

burrows Chances of seeing beaver scat on dry

land are slim.

Visible beaver droppings are usually dry. Touch

the scat with a stick and try to break it apart. If

the scat turns out to have a sawdust-like appear-

ance and texture then it is likely to be beaver

American beaver Castor canadensis

Fun Fact! As the national animal of Canada , a beaver was depicted on the first Canadian postage stamp, the Three Penny Beaver.

They are found in various wetlands that have perma-

nent water with a variety of shrubs and trees adjacent

to the water.

Beavers are responsible for creating habitat for many

species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish,

and invertebrates. Without beavers, the distribution

and abundance of many freshwater wetland-

associated species would decline dramatically.

American beaver Castor canadensis

Habitat requirements Diet: primarily bark from shrubs and trees; also

some forbs and grasses

Water: prefer slow-moving or still water at least 5

feet deep (to allow movement under water

Cover: bottomland riparian areas that can be

dammed to provide still water with sufficient

depth

Control Nonnative Invasive Vegetation: when nonnative

invasive vegetation begins to reduce habitat quality for

American beaver

Livestock Management: should prevent livestock access

to riparian areas & other wetlands where beaver is a focal

species

Plant Shrubs: where beavers are desired, but not present,

deciduous shrubs may be planted along riparian areas

where there are few trees or shrubs

Plant Trees: where beavers are desired but not present,

deciduous trees may be planted along riparian areas

where there are few trees or shrubs

Water Control Structures: a Clemson Beaver Pond Lev-

eler can be installed in beaver dams to maintain water

levels

Decrease Harvest: may be necessary where an increased

beaver population is desired and trapping pressure has

limited growth

Increase Harvest: where populations can sustain addi-

tional trapping pressure for recreation and/or where popu-

lations need to be lowered

Wildlife Damage Management: should be implemented

where beavers are causing problems for landowners, such

as flooding timber, crops, roads, and other areas

Wildlife or Fish Survey: presence and extent of beaver

activity (dams, evidence of cutting shrubs and trees) is

used to estimate population trends over time