Beavers live in rivers, streams, and freshwater lakes near woodlands. They are excellent swimmers and divers. There are more beavers in the United States and Canada than anywhere else in the world. Beavers are also found in Asia and Europe. In the 1980's, trappers in the United States and Canada captured about a million beavers a year.
Beaver fur is soft and shiny, and it wears well.
Clothing manufacturers use it to make fur coats and to trim the collars and cuffs of cloth coats. Beaver fur is also squeezed together with other kinds of fur to make a cloth called felt. Beavers were probably the most hunted animals in North America from the late 1500's through the 1800's. The pioneers and Indians ate beaver meat, and traded the furs for things they needed. In the late 1600's, a person could trade 12 beaver skins for a rifle.