wilDLIFE in our area
Library of Wildlife Articles
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) | Cindy Murray
Rattlesnakes: Fact and Fiction | Ilene Smith
Northern River Otter | Cindy Murray
Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus) | Cindy Murray
Rattlesnakes: Fact and Fiction | Ilene Smith
Northern River Otter | Cindy Murray
North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
By Cindy Murray, Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
By Cindy Murray, Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon Area
Kit (juvenile beaver) | Sue Combs
Oregon has long been known as the Beaver State due to the great economic benefit of the beaver fur trade, which preceded statehood. The state officially recognized the beaver as its state symbol in1969. Biologists estimate the North American beaver population was close to 400 million before the settlement of Oregon. The fur trade decimated the beaver population almost to extinction. Protection efforts helped restore their numbers to a current estimated population of 15 million healthy individuals.
Popular myth claims that beavers destroy trees and vegetation around the ponds created by their dams’ engineering. The truth is that beaver ponds create thriving ecosystems that encourage a healthy diversity of plant and animal life. Rivers and streams flowing through beaver ponds have higher water clarity and less pollution than those without ponds. Beavers cut trees with their strong, large teeth and drag them to place in the stream or river to effectively block the water flow. This process is also beneficial to stabilize water levels during drought conditions. Additionally, beavers use the tree branches to build stick lodges packed with mud in the middle of the pond with underwater entrances to protect themselves from predators.
The American Beaver is the largest rodent in North America. They weigh an average of 40 pounds but continue to grow during their lifetime and can reach 65 pounds. Their orange teeth grow constantly which balances against wear from chewing wood. They reach maturity at around 3 years of age and females have only one litter of kits per year with one to four kits. The parents live inside their lodges with both the new kits and those born the previous year.
Beavers are nocturnal and herbivorous, eating vegetation and wood. They do not eat fish. Beavers are neither friendly nor aggressive, but they will protect their territory from predators. If attacked by predators, including dogs, beavers will use their strong sharp teeth and front paws to drive away danger. Take care walking along our Deschutes and Crooked Rivers to avoid the traps that may be placed in the water. Trapping is still legal in Oregon for many furred animals and traps inadvertently injure dogs at times.
As you are meandering our riverbanks, look for the telltale tree stumps that have been cut into a cone; they most definitely indicate the work of our native North American Beavers.
Popular myth claims that beavers destroy trees and vegetation around the ponds created by their dams’ engineering. The truth is that beaver ponds create thriving ecosystems that encourage a healthy diversity of plant and animal life. Rivers and streams flowing through beaver ponds have higher water clarity and less pollution than those without ponds. Beavers cut trees with their strong, large teeth and drag them to place in the stream or river to effectively block the water flow. This process is also beneficial to stabilize water levels during drought conditions. Additionally, beavers use the tree branches to build stick lodges packed with mud in the middle of the pond with underwater entrances to protect themselves from predators.
The American Beaver is the largest rodent in North America. They weigh an average of 40 pounds but continue to grow during their lifetime and can reach 65 pounds. Their orange teeth grow constantly which balances against wear from chewing wood. They reach maturity at around 3 years of age and females have only one litter of kits per year with one to four kits. The parents live inside their lodges with both the new kits and those born the previous year.
Beavers are nocturnal and herbivorous, eating vegetation and wood. They do not eat fish. Beavers are neither friendly nor aggressive, but they will protect their territory from predators. If attacked by predators, including dogs, beavers will use their strong sharp teeth and front paws to drive away danger. Take care walking along our Deschutes and Crooked Rivers to avoid the traps that may be placed in the water. Trapping is still legal in Oregon for many furred animals and traps inadvertently injure dogs at times.
As you are meandering our riverbanks, look for the telltale tree stumps that have been cut into a cone; they most definitely indicate the work of our native North American Beavers.
