In the 1600s beaver were common in Cades Cove. By the 20th century, none remained. Reintroduced in North Carolina in the 1960s, beavers migrated back to the Smokies. Beavers prefer slow waters. Acorn abundance determines the winter survival for the chipmunk, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, and southern flying squirrel.
Red squirrels eat a varied diet, including insects and bird eggs.
Woodchucks, also called groundhogs or whistle pigs, are common along roadsides. They live in underground tunnels. When caught outside their tunnels, they climb trees to elude predators. Like all members of this family, they face heavy predation from canines and felines. The two local members of this family are the eastern cottontail and the New England cottontail.