Beavers: Furry Friends or Dam Pests?

Local beaver activity spotted in Alpine Meadows.

Credit: Mary Bennett

It is no coincidence our community is noticing the upsurge in local beaver activities. Autumn is the beaver’s busiest time of year as they prepare their dams to survive the harsh winter months. After all, it is hard to repair a dam when the pond is frozen over.

It's hard to believe we almost lost them to extinction due to overhunting for their fur, meat, and castoreum, which was used in medicine, perfume, and food flavoring, in the early 1900s.

As a keystone species (meaning they have a disproportionally significant effect on their surrounding ecosystem), they are ecosystem engineers; their natural activities, such as building dams, can create new wildlife habitats, regulate water flow, reduce fire intensity on a landscape, and improve water quality downstream. However, these same activities may cause concern for property damage to crops, timber, or human infrastructure hence the bad rap.

These creatures are invaluable water wardens, providing new food sources in the wetlands they build, improving water quality, and making it rain! That’s right. The wetlands they build are very humid environments that contribute lots of water to the air from their open ponds and extensive vegetation. Wetlands allow the water cycle to remain functional; therefore, offering protection against drought and wildfires and ensuring our landscapes are resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Beavers are incredible creatures! They are North America's largest rodents (gnawing animals) and partner for life. Their teeth are continuously growing so they need to keep chewing to wear them away, and their orange teeth color comes from an iron-rich protective coating of enamel. The beaver's front feet are dexterous, allowing them to grasp and manipulate objects and food, as well as dig. They have great hearing and can sense changes in the flow of water from great distances if there is a leak in their dam. To warn family members of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a powerful noise. In conclusion, beavers are absolutely furry friends!

Loved learning about beavers? This was just the tip of the dam. Check out “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America” sold on our online store!