Information:
The North American Beaver is the 2nd largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Beaver families create one or more dams to provide still, deep water ponds. These ponds protect them against predators and allow them to more easily float food or building materials. Beavers can live up to 24 years (average life span of 12 years) in the wild and they can weigh between 40-100 lbs (average 45lbs). Though they are slow on land, beavers are excellent swimmers and can stay under water for up to 15 minutes. Instead of hibernating, they store sticks and logs in piles in their ponds and eat the underbark from these during the winter months.