Viewing Beavers
Beavers are nocturnal, but are
occasionally active during the day. They do not hibernate, but are less active
during winter, spending most of their time in the lodge or den.
Probably no animal leaves more obvious signs of its presence than the beaver. Freshly cut trees and shrubs, and prominent dams and lodges are sure indicators of their activity.
Look for signs of beavers during the day; look for the animals themselves before sunset or sunrise. Approach a beaver site slowly and downwind. (Beavers have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.) Look for a V-shaped series of ripples on the surface of calm water. A closer view with binoculars may reveal the nostrils, eyes, and ears of a beaver swimming.
If you startle a beaver and it goes underwater, wait quietly in a secluded spot and chances are that it will reemerge within one or two minutes. However, beavers are able to remain underwater for at least 15 minutes by slowing their heart rate.
When seen in the water, beavers are often mistaken for muskrats. Try to get a look at the tail: Beavers have a broad, flat tail that doesn’t show behind them when swimming, whereas muskrats have a thin tail that is either held out of the water or sways back and forth on the water’s surface as the animal swims.
Beavers stand their ground and should not be closely approached when cornered on land. They face the aggressor, rear up on their hind legs, and hiss or growl loudly before lunging forward to deliver extremely damaging bites.
Harvest Sites
Beavers cut down trees, shrubs, and other available vegetation for food and building materials. Large stumps are pointed, 1 to 2½ feet high, and sometimes the tree trunk is still attached.
Tooth marks look like twin grooves, each groove measuring 1/8 inch or more. There will be a pile of wood chips on the ground around the base of recently felled trees. Limbs that are too large to be hauled off are typically stripped of bark over the course of several days. The cut on small wood usually involves a 45-degree cut typical of rodents, but at a larger scale. Branches and twigs under ¾ inch in diameter are generally eaten entirely.
Most harvesting is done within 165 feet of the water’s edge. In areas with few predators, but a lean food supply, toppled trees and other signs of feeding may be found twice that distance from the den site. Beavers transport woody material even farther through upstream and downstream sites.
By late fall (earlier in cold winter areas of Washington), all family members concentrate on repairing and building up dams and the family lodge in preparation for winter. Harvesting is at its most intense level at this time of year.
Slides
Slides are the paths beavers make where they enter and leave the water. They are 15 to 20 inches wide, at right angles to the shoreline, and have a slicked down or muddy appearance.
Channels
Beavers construct channels or canal systems leading to their ponds, using them to float food such as small, trimmed trees from cutting sites. Canals are also safe travel ways for swimming instead of walking. With receding water levels during summer, beaver activity shifts toward building and maintaining channels to access new food supplies. Channels often look man-made, have soft, muddy bottoms, and are filled with 15 to 25 inches of water.
Food Storage Sites
Beavers that live in cold climates store branches of food trees and shrubs for winter use by shoving them into the mud at the bottom of ponds or streams near the entrance to their bank den or lodge.
Droppings
Beaver droppings are seldom found on land; those that are will commonly be found in the early morning at the water’s edge. Individual beaver droppings are usually cylindrical, up to 2½ inches long (sometimes shorter), and look as if they were formed of compressed sawdust. The diameter is an indication of the animal’s size, with 1 inch being average for adults. The color of fresh deposits is dark brown, with lighter-colored bits of undigested wood, all turning pale with age.
Sounds
In order to warn each other of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a loud splash. Sounds also include whining (noises made by kits), a breathy greeting noise, and loud blowing when upset.
A Beaver’s Tail
The tail of a large beaver may be 15 inches long and 6 inches wide. It is covered with leathery scales and sparse, coarse hairs.
The beaver’s tail has important uses both in the water and on land. In the water, the animal uses its flexible tail as a four-way rudder. When diving after being frightened, a beaver loudly slaps the water with its tail; the sound warns all beavers in the vicinity that danger is near, and perhaps serves to frighten potential predators.
On land, the tail acts as a prop when a beaver is sitting or standing upright. It also serves as a counterbalance and support when a beaver is walking on its hind legs while carrying building materials with its teeth, front legs, and paws. Contrary to common belief, beavers do not use their tails to plaster mud on their dams.
The tail stores fat, and because it is nearly hairless, releases body heat, helping the beaver to regulate its body temperature.
Probably no animal leaves more obvious signs of its presence than the beaver. Freshly cut trees and shrubs, and prominent dams and lodges are sure indicators of their activity.
Look for signs of beavers during the day; look for the animals themselves before sunset or sunrise. Approach a beaver site slowly and downwind. (Beavers have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.) Look for a V-shaped series of ripples on the surface of calm water. A closer view with binoculars may reveal the nostrils, eyes, and ears of a beaver swimming.
If you startle a beaver and it goes underwater, wait quietly in a secluded spot and chances are that it will reemerge within one or two minutes. However, beavers are able to remain underwater for at least 15 minutes by slowing their heart rate.
When seen in the water, beavers are often mistaken for muskrats. Try to get a look at the tail: Beavers have a broad, flat tail that doesn’t show behind them when swimming, whereas muskrats have a thin tail that is either held out of the water or sways back and forth on the water’s surface as the animal swims.
Beavers stand their ground and should not be closely approached when cornered on land. They face the aggressor, rear up on their hind legs, and hiss or growl loudly before lunging forward to deliver extremely damaging bites.
Harvest Sites
Beavers cut down trees, shrubs, and other available vegetation for food and building materials. Large stumps are pointed, 1 to 2½ feet high, and sometimes the tree trunk is still attached.
Tooth marks look like twin grooves, each groove measuring 1/8 inch or more. There will be a pile of wood chips on the ground around the base of recently felled trees. Limbs that are too large to be hauled off are typically stripped of bark over the course of several days. The cut on small wood usually involves a 45-degree cut typical of rodents, but at a larger scale. Branches and twigs under ¾ inch in diameter are generally eaten entirely.
Most harvesting is done within 165 feet of the water’s edge. In areas with few predators, but a lean food supply, toppled trees and other signs of feeding may be found twice that distance from the den site. Beavers transport woody material even farther through upstream and downstream sites.
By late fall (earlier in cold winter areas of Washington), all family members concentrate on repairing and building up dams and the family lodge in preparation for winter. Harvesting is at its most intense level at this time of year.
Slides
Slides are the paths beavers make where they enter and leave the water. They are 15 to 20 inches wide, at right angles to the shoreline, and have a slicked down or muddy appearance.
Channels
Beavers construct channels or canal systems leading to their ponds, using them to float food such as small, trimmed trees from cutting sites. Canals are also safe travel ways for swimming instead of walking. With receding water levels during summer, beaver activity shifts toward building and maintaining channels to access new food supplies. Channels often look man-made, have soft, muddy bottoms, and are filled with 15 to 25 inches of water.
Food Storage Sites
Beavers that live in cold climates store branches of food trees and shrubs for winter use by shoving them into the mud at the bottom of ponds or streams near the entrance to their bank den or lodge.
Droppings
Beaver droppings are seldom found on land; those that are will commonly be found in the early morning at the water’s edge. Individual beaver droppings are usually cylindrical, up to 2½ inches long (sometimes shorter), and look as if they were formed of compressed sawdust. The diameter is an indication of the animal’s size, with 1 inch being average for adults. The color of fresh deposits is dark brown, with lighter-colored bits of undigested wood, all turning pale with age.
Sounds
In order to warn each other of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a loud splash. Sounds also include whining (noises made by kits), a breathy greeting noise, and loud blowing when upset.
A Beaver’s Tail
The tail of a large beaver may be 15 inches long and 6 inches wide. It is covered with leathery scales and sparse, coarse hairs.
The beaver’s tail has important uses both in the water and on land. In the water, the animal uses its flexible tail as a four-way rudder. When diving after being frightened, a beaver loudly slaps the water with its tail; the sound warns all beavers in the vicinity that danger is near, and perhaps serves to frighten potential predators.
On land, the tail acts as a prop when a beaver is sitting or standing upright. It also serves as a counterbalance and support when a beaver is walking on its hind legs while carrying building materials with its teeth, front legs, and paws. Contrary to common belief, beavers do not use their tails to plaster mud on their dams.
The tail stores fat, and because it is nearly hairless, releases body heat, helping the beaver to regulate its body temperature.
This information was provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Russell Link, and Michael Holmquist
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