Some animals begin construction of their lodge by using a tree that has tipped over, exposing the roots. Others dig into the soft mud found on the banks of a pond, similar to muskrats. Once a suitable location is found, the beaver piles sticks and pushes up mud and debris on the lodge using his two front paws, not their tails as shown in cartoons. The entrances, usually two, are underwater. Inside the lodge there is a dry platform and a sleeping area.
Beavers build dams for two good reasons, food and protection.
They begin by cutting larger trees and placing them with the branches facing upstream. The branches catch other debris in addition to the sticks and mud placed there by the beaver. Some dams can be quite large, others very small. Sometimes, beavers will build a series of dams down a stream. Beavers are strict vegetarians, and the aquatic vegetation that grows in ponds supplies summer food.