When beavers chew on trees they use their tail like a kick stand to give them support. When a beaver feels threatened by danger it will slap its tail on the water as a warning to the predator. Beavers also store fat in their tails for the long, cold winters. Beaver dams and lodges are two easily identifiable clues of beaver activity. Another clue is to look at the trees along the shoreline to see any signs of gnawed trees.
Beavers have a dramatic effect on the land.
The dams they create provide new habitat for fish, plants, otters, and other underwater creatures. The new ponds also provide new water sources for moose and wolves. The land that dries up near the dams also becomes reforested because of its rich, fertile soil. Beavers are extremely important for our forests. In the 1500s, European fishermen brought beaver robes purchased from the Indians back to Spain.