I recently watched the movie Hoppers and really enjoyed it. It’s a must-watch!
If you haven’t watched it, here’s a trailer to pique your interest.
One of the main characters is King George, a beaver, and the movie shows how beavers make dams.
That got me thinking: why do beavers build dams in the first place?
Have you ever wondered about that, too?
Well, I did some research, and now I know why and how they do it. I bet you’re curious as well. Read on to learn more about beavers and their dams.
Everything You Need to Know About Beavers
Beavers are large, furry rodents and are sometimes called “nature’s engineers” because they are great at building things.
They have thick brown fur, a flat, wide tail, and webbed back feet for swimming. Their front teeth are big, strong, and orange, which are perfect for chewing through wood.
Beavers live near rivers, streams, and ponds in North America and parts of Europe and Asia. They also spend a lot of time in the water.
Did you know that beavers are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. They like to munch on tree bark, twigs, leaves, and water plants.
Why They Make Dams
Beavers feel safest in deep water, where they can swim quickly and hide from predators. That’s why beavers build dams.
Beavers are slow on land, so animals like wolves, bears, and coyotes can catch them easily. But beavers are fast swimmers.
By building a dam, they create a deep pond where they can swim and hide from danger. Their homes, called lodges, have underwater entrances, making it hard for predators to reach them.
Another reason is also because they want their lodge entrances to be underwater. Dams help keep the water level high enough, even if the stream or river goes up and down. This way, the inside of the lodge stays dry and cozy for the beaver family.
In the pond created by the dam, beavers can also store branches and twigs underwater. This gives them food to eat during the winter when everything is frozen.
How They Make Them
Beavers make dams by working together and using materials they find nearby. Here’s how they do it:
First, beavers look for a stream or small river that isn’t too deep or too wide. They want a place where building a dam will help make a pond.
Next, they use their strong, orange teeth to chew through tree trunks. They usually pick small to medium-sized trees growing near the water.
After a tree falls, beavers drag the logs, branches, and twigs to the water. They carry smaller sticks in their mouths and sometimes push bigger ones with their bodies.
Then, beavers pile up the logs and branches across the stream, making a wall. They weave the sticks together to help the dam stay strong.
To make the dam sturdy and stop water from leaking through, beavers use mud, grass, and even stones. They pack mud into the gaps using their paws.
Did you know that beavers are always busy. They check their dam often and fix it if water starts to leak or if the current washes part of it away.
Then they bring sticks, branches, and mud to build a dam that blocks the water. This creates a pond, making it safer for the beavers and their families.
You may still be wondering how beavers know how to build dams. Do they think and plan it out like humans would? Scientists believe it is all just a natural very complex instinct that evolved over time. In one study they discovered that beavers hate the sound of running water and naturally started putting things in the water to stop it. Even cutting down trees is based on instinct. Their sharp teeth never stop growing, so it would be very uncomfortable if they did not chew on things. In addition, trees are one of their favorite foods.
Now, here’s a fun fact. Only one beaver family usually lives in a lodge, but that family can be big, sometimes up to 10 beavers. The same dam and lodge can last for many years, as long as beavers are around to take care of it.
In fact, the biggest beaver dam ever found is in Alberta, Canada. It’s over 500 meters long, which is longer than five football fields.
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