Help your child learn about animals that start with letter B with these North American beaver facts. There’s even a printable page to solidify it better in their minds 😉
Beaver Description
Beavers are usually dark brown in color. They have a flat tail that looks much like a Ping-Pong paddle. Their teeth, which are huge and yellowish, grow all of their lives. They have body oil which they use to coat their hair which helps to keep them warm in cold water. The fact that they have webbed feet makes them fast swimmers. They are rodents and belong to the same family as squirrels, rats and mice.
North American Beaver Facts
Do Beavers Need Blankets? (Wildlife Picture Books)
Where Are Beavers Found?
Most North American beavers are found in the middle and upper part of the United States and in Canada. The Eurasian beaver lives in parts Europe and Asia.
What Do Beavers Eat?
Beavers are mostly vegetarian. That is: they eat leaves, and crops, such as apples. Beavers also eat fish, but only if they find them dead or if the fish come too close to their homes: they do not hunt for them. They store their food in the underwater tunnels of their homes.
Where Do Beavers Live?
Beavers live in lodges made of twigs and mud. They build these lodges in water. They live in the top part which is above water and store their food in their underwater tunnels.
To learn more about beavers and their habitats, read this book by Gail Gibbons: it’s full of information and great images.
Beaver Coloring Page
Fun Facts About Beavers
Beavers can travel both in water and on land, although they can travel much faster in water. When they go under water, their ears and nostrils close up. The north American beavers can hold their breath underwater for long periods of time, sometimes as long as ten minutes.
Beavers stand up on land by using their back feet and their paddle like tails.
They cut down trees and make dams so that the water will be deeper in their home areas. Beavers are very good at making trees fall exactly where they want them.
Beaver Plush Toys
Buddy Beaver 7Gund Busy Beavers: Betty Beaver Stuffed Animal Plush
Wild Republic 12