Ace Hardware's Wildlife Spotlight: American Beaver(Castor canadensis)

Closely related to squirrels, beavers are the second largest rodent in the world. They grow to about two feet, have webbed hind feet and a broad, flat, scaly tail. This tail, besides being useful in dam-building, is often used to signal danger. When startled or frightened, the beaver will dive while “slapping” the water with its broad tail as a warning other beavers nearby. Beavers have poor eyesight but excellent senses of hearing, smell and touch. They are nocturnal and largely live an aquatic lifestyle, traveling on land only when necessary.

What they eat: Their favorite food is the water lily. Beavers also gnaw on bark from poplar, birch and willow trees. During summer, they eat a variety of plant material including berries.

Where they live: North America.

Claim to fame: Beavers are best known for their natural ability to build dams in rivers and streams. These dams provide a natural protection against predators and easy access to food in winter. A dam’s shape and size varies with the strength of the current. The largest known beaver dam was in Montana and measured 2,140 feet long, 14 feet high and 23 feet thick at the base.

Source: Wikipedia