Their flattened scaly tails provide steering and power, and a means of communication. They slap their tails against the water when they detect something unusual. Found across most of the continent, the beaver is the lumberjack of the rodent world. Armed with an incredible set of teeth, the beaver can topple trees for both food and building supply. Its large, chisel-like teeth grow as fast as they are worn down.
Beavers construct their conical lodges across streams using mud, stones, sticks, and branches.
All family members, except newborn kits, help build and maintain the lodges. As a result of the demand for fur, the beaver nearly met extinction in the late nineteenth century. However, populations were reestablished by state and federal wildlife agencies and the beaver made a comeback.