1) Beavers live in North America and parts of Eurasia. They help maintain ecosystems by creating ponds and wetlands. 2) Beavers eat plants like trees, berries, and aquatic plants. Their main food is tree bark. 3) Beavers can swim underwater for 15 minutes and use their tails to steer. They have adaptations to close their ears and nose in water. 4) Humans and predators like wolves are beavers' main enemies. Beavers communicate using scent posts and musk oils.

1. All About Beavers By: Catherine Le

2. Table of Contents Question and Answer pages Fast Facts Page Reference Page About Me Page

3. Where does the beaver live? They were once widespread in N and central Eurasia except E Siberia, and in North America from the arctic tree line to the S United States. Because of their great importance in maintaining the natural environment, they have been reintroduced in many areas of North America and Russia and are now increasing in numbers. Beavers are responsible for creating many of the woodland ponds that support lush vegetation and eventually become meadows.

4. What do beavers eat? Beavers eat only plants. They eat poplar trees, carrots, cattail, mushrooms, potatoes, berries, water plants, swamp wood, and fruit. Soft bark is the main food for a beaver.

5. How does the beaver move? Beavers can swim underwater for 15 minutes. They can do that because they have very big lungs. Their tails are used as a rudder. If they turn their tail to the right the beaver will go left. Beavers have noses and ears that close when the beaver is in the water.

6. Who are the beaver’s enemies? Humans are the main enemies for beavers everywhere. In the north, wolves are the main predator for the beaver. When a beaver is on land looking for food it can be attacked by animals like: coyotes, lynx, bobcats, mountain lions, wolverines, bears, and sometimes stray dogs. Beavers are hard for an animal to kill because they can dodge into one of their plunge holes. Sometimes a beaver will bite its enemy with its sharp teeth and drag their enemy to the water to drown.

7. How do beavers communicate? Sometimes a beaver will communicate with another beaver by making a scent post. A scent post is a hill made out of mud and grass. They communicate with them by putting musk-smelling oil from their castor glands on the hill. The smell attracts beavers and other animals. Some scent posts found have been 8 to 10 inches high and 10 to 12 inches around. The scent post does more than help them communicate, it finds them a mate.

8. Size, breeding and lifespan of a beaver… Beavers live 16 years. They are about 4 feet long including a 1 foot tail, and they weigh up to 60 lbs. They mate from Jan.- Feb. and they have 1 to 8 babies in April-May. The babies weigh 8 to 24 oz., their length is about 13 inches with tails that are about 9 centimeters long. They learn to swim when they're only a month old. Their eyes open at birth. When the second litter is born the first litter moves out. Beavers mature in about 2 to 3 years. The prehistoric beavers were 7 feet, 6 inches long and lived in North America.

9. Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Herbivore Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 24 years Size: Head and body, 23 to 39 in (60 to 100 cm); Tail, 7.75 to 12 in (20 to 30.5 cm) Weight: 60 lbs (27 kg) Group name: Colony Did you know? Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to manipulate and change their environment. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

10. References By Tearsandrain (Creative Commons License: Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-Alike ) http://www.flickr.com/photos/8418112@N04/524787437 By sherseydc (Creative Commons License: Attribution, Share-Alike ) http://www.flickr.com/photos/31563480@N00/2452702213 By Red~Star (© All Rights reserved) http://www.flickr.com/photos/22626917@N00/1413981329 By DPHPhotos (© All Rights reserved) http://www.flickr.com/photos/30757731@N00/139451201 By mimbrava (© All Rights reserved) by joekerstef (© All Rights reserved) by the nixonator (© All Rights reserved) by annkelliott (© All Rights reserved) http://www.flickr.com/photos/71833159@N00/416135387 http://www.flickr.com/photos/58878870@N00/461436110 http://www.flickr.com/photos/67906779@N00/266109265 http://www.flickr.com/photos/95386698@N00/869698824

11. About Me My name is Catherine and I am 7.5 years old. My birthday is June 21 st . My favorite thing to do is participate in art.