American beaver

The American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to North America. Beavers are known for their distinctive flat, paddle-shaped tail and their ability to build dams and lodges using branches, stones, and mud. These structures create ponds, altering landscapes and forming vital wetland habitats.1

Beavers have powerful, chisel-like incisors for felling trees and stripping bark, which is their primary food source along with twigs and aquatic vegetation. Their fur is dense and water-repellent, and they possess scent glands that exude castoreum, used for marking territory.1

Ecologists refer to beavers as "ecosystem engineers" due to their significant impact on their environment. Despite the ecological benefits they provide, they can sometimes be considered nuisance animals by landowners when their dams flood roads or damage property. The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa), found in the Pacific Northwest, is a different species and is not closely related to the North American or Eurasian beaver.12