A female beaver will have a litter of kits ranging in number from 2 to 6. A kit is the name given to a baby beaver. A kit will remain in the family lodge until the age of 2 years old. During the 2 years at home, the kit will learn things needed for survival. Building and repairing lodges and dams are two important skills learned at home.
Food gathering is another important skill needed by the beaver.
Beavers are herbivores. A herbivore is an animal that eats plants. During the spring and summer beavers feed on leaves, ferns, grasses and algae. In fall and winter they feed on woody items such as the bark and cambium of trees. The cambium is the underside of the bark that keeps the tree alive.