Beavers, the Gnawing Animal

My wife Roberta and I have lived in Bethel for nearly 40 years. In our early days, we often hiked through the tranquil Wolfpit Preserve, Huntington Park with its many beautiful ponds, and the pictured East Swamp Wildlife Preserve, all once vibrant with the presence of beavers. The evidence of their presence, including gnawed trees and intricately built lodges, added to the beauty of these areas. Sadly, we no longer see signs of beavers when we visit. Perhaps it’s due to hunting, resource decline, or increased human activity. We miss watching them swim silently or slap their tails to warn of intruders.

Beavers are truly remarkable mammals. They are the second largest semi-aquatic rodents. Their stout bodies, small ears and eyes, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, chisel-like teeth, waterproof fur, and distinctive flat, scaly tails make them fascinating. They thrive in freshwater habitats, displaying a diverse diet of bark, leaves, aquatic plants, grasses, and sedges.

Master engineers (Ecosystems Engineers!), beavers instinctively build dams and lodges. Using their strong teeth, they fell trees and gather mud, grass, and stones to construct sturdy dams that create ponds for their lodges. By creating a more extensive and deeper wetland, the dam enables beavers to swim to their primary food source. They increase the distance they can feed by digging underwater channels that lead into the woodlands. Their network of channels enables them to carry their logs and whole branches back to their dams and lodges. Where the water is the deepest, beavers dive down and firmly push branches into the mud at the bottom of the pond where the beaver food cache is stored during the winter. The cold water is a refrigerator, keeping the stems cold and preserving their nutritional value. Beavers eat their food using their front paws, eating corn-on-the-cob style.

Lodges, generally built in the center of ponds, can rise over 6 feet and feature underwater entrances leading to living chambers above the waterline. These chambers are insulated with mud and ventilated through a small “chimney.” Beavers live in family groups. In the spring, one to four kits (beaver babies) are born and remain inside the lodge for about a month. They are raised by both their parents and older brothers and sisters.

One of the characteristics of beavers that we find fascinating is their distinctive tail. It has a conical, muscular, hairy base and the remaining two-thirds of the appendage is flat and scaly. The shape of their tails is an individual and family trait, varying from short and broad to long and narrow. The tail supports the beaver when it is upright (such as when chewing down a tree), acts as a rudder when swimming, and stores fat for winter.  

Beavers are excellent swimmers, capable of holding their breath for up to 15 minutes. They possess unique adaptations like valves in their ears and noses, transparent membranes over their eyes, and sensitive whiskers for navigation.

Beavers have a potential lifespan of up to 10 years in the wild. They reside in their creative homestead until their food runs out, maybe in a few years or more. They migrate by water or land; however, beavers do not walk well or fast on land because of their short legs, making them easy targets for predators and traffic.

Beavers are primarily nocturnal but are sometimes visible at dawn or dusk.

Beavers are true architects of the wild, transforming landscapes into vibrant ecosystems teeming with life. By constructing wetlands, they create havens offering food, shelter, and breeding grounds for a multitude of species—everything from insects and invertebrates to fish, amphibians, mammals, songbirds, and waterfowl.

Dubbed “nature’s water stewards,” beavers play a vital role in water conservation. Their dams and ponds act as natural filters, trapping sediment and reducing soil erosion. In doing so, they help cleanse the water of pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and fertilizers, ensuring cleaner waterways downstream. Their ponds also replenish groundwater, as water gradually seeps into the earth to recharge aquifers. During heavy rains, their dams slow the rush of water, reducing the risk of downstream flooding. Meanwhile, the water they store serves as a lifeline during dry spells, helping buffer droughts' effects.

Two notes of caution: seasonal hunting is allowed in Huntington Park and East Swamp Wildlife Management areas. In addition, the trail that runs through East Swamp is a mecca for ticks.

‍