Beaver families are territorial and defend against other families. In order to warn each other of danger, beavers slap their tails against the water, creating a powerful noise. Beavers are primarily nocturnal. They are only occasionally seen during the day. They usually wake at dusk.
Beavers travel good distances from their homes to find food.
If they find a good source, they build canals to the food source as a way to float the food back to their lodges. Logs and twigs are stored underwater for winter feeding. Beavers build dams to slow down the flow of water in streams and rivers and then build stable lodges for shelter. This provides stability so that the dam will not be washed away. The lodges are made of sticks, mud and rocks.