These predators includedmountain lions, grizzly bears, and gray wolves. Today, the largest predatorsin the Valley are coyotes, foxes, and occasionally mountain lions. Routinely, beaver and muskrat areconsidered in wetland management practices in the Valley. Beavers occur throughout continental North America from coast to coastincluding the Alaskan peninsula. In California, they are found primarily inthe northern two-thirds of the state.
Optimum habitat includes riparian,riverine, lacustrine, and emergent wetlands.
In spring and summer, beavers eatgrasses, leaves, and aquatic vegetation, such as tules and cattails. Inwinter, they eat the bark and cambium of trees, primarily willow, aspen, alder,and cottonwood. Muskrats are common and widely distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. Muskrats occur sporadically in California, but are continuously distributedthroughout the Central Valley. Muskrats are mainly herbivorous, eating aquaticplants, especially roots and basal stems of cattails and tule bulrush.