American Beaver - Amerikanesche Biber (Mammalia Luxembourg)

American Beaver - Amerikanesche Biber

Castor canadensis

Summary and Information ⁴

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two extant beaver species. It is native to North America and introduced to Patagonia in South America and some European countries (e.g. Norway). In the United States and Canada, the species is often referred to simply as "beaver", though this causes some confusion because another distantly related rodent, Aplodontia rufa, is often called the "mountain beaver". Other vernacular names, including American beaver and Canadian beaver. Although Aplodontia rufa has similar features (such as color of the fur, small eyes and ears, etc.), it can be differentiated by the much smaller size at 18-32 ounces and length of 12-20 inches. Their tail is very short (less than two inches) with no similarities to a beaver's tail.
Beavers will always live in water where they can build dams and lodges to create a pond in that area. Though they do not always create dams – they will live beside a river and live in a lodge. Their lodges are characteristically dome shaped with a base that averages 20 feet in diameter and 10 feet high. They have a preference for birch, willow, aspen, cottonwood, basswood, and poplar trees. Their diet consists of cattail shoots, pond lilies, various vegetation, and cambium of trees.

Differences from European beaver ⁵

Although North American beavers are superficially similar to the European beaver (Castor fiber), several important differences exist between the two species. North American beavers tend to be slightly smaller, with smaller, more rounded heads; shorter, wider muzzles; thicker, longer, and darker underfur; wider, more oval-shaped tails; and longer shin bones, allowing them a greater range of bipedal locomotion than the European species.

The two species are not genetically compatible. North American beavers have 40 chromosomes, while European beavers have 48.