Separating the Truth from Fiction
by Patrick Owuraku Kwaah, MCA Intern
Beavers in North America have long captured people's imagination with their industrious behaviors and unique adaptations. However, along with the facts, numerous myths and misconceptions about these creatures have circulated. In this blog, we embark on a journey to uncover the truth about beavers while debunking common myths that have persisted through the years.
First, the North American Beaver, Castor canadensis, is the largest living rodent in North America, with adults averaging 40 pounds in weight and measuring more than three feet in length. The North American beaver has 24 subspecies, with a variety found across the continent as a result of the reintroductions of different beavers to different places. Often regarded as North America’s most iconic builders, they play a remarkable and often underestimated role in shaping the continent’s ecosystem. From constructing intricate dams to creating thriving wetland habitats, these industrious creatures are essential for maintaining the balance of nature.
Did You Know?
Mill Creek is home to a number of beavers.
Beavers along the creek signify a healthy waterway and thriving ecosystem.
Beavers have been spotted in Northside, Winton Hills, and the northern wetland areas in the upper watershed communities. Head to the Salway Park Mill Creek Green Way Trail and keep your eyes peeled for these furry creatures or signs of their presence.
Myth 1: Beavers are aggressive and dangerous
The myth that beavers are aggressive and dangerous likely stems from a misunderstanding of their behavior and defensive instincts. Beavers are generally peaceful and tend to avoid confrontations with other animals, including humans. However, if a beaver feels threatened or cornered, it may exhibit defensive behavior. This behavior can include warning signals like tail slapping on the water, vocalizations and even posturing to deter potential threats.
Facts: Beavers do not pose threats to humans and are not predatory animals. Their natural behavior is focused on their survival and maintaining their dams and lodges. Rare instances where a beaver might become more assertive is when it perceives a threat like encroachment of its dams by humans or other animals.
Myth 2: Beavers are destructive pests
Coexistence Strategies: Various coexistence strategies such as flow devices, pond leveling, and tree protection can help minimize the conflicts with beavers.
While beavers can cause challenges for some human activities, they are not inherently destructive pests. Understanding their behavior and using coexistence strategies can mitigate conflicts. Beavers build dams to create wetland habitats, control water flow, and protect their lodges. These dams can sometimes lead to localized flooding, which might be viewed as destructive. Similarly, beavers cut down trees for food and to use in their dam and lodge construction. This can lead to tree damage on private properties.
Fact: Beavers play a vital role in wetland conservation: Their dam-building activities can help create wetlands, which serve as essential habitats for various wildlife and are vital for water filtration and storage. Beavers, also, build dams to control water flow and protect their lodges. Scientists and researchers recognize that beaver activities are essential in creating and maintaining wetland ecosystems, improving water quality, and supporting biodiversity.
Myth 3: Beavers fell trees for food alone
This myth oversimplifies the behavior and reasons behind tree-cutting. Beavers are well-known for their tree-cutting activities, but it is important to understand that they use trees for multiple purposes, not just as a food source.
Fact: While beavers do eat tree bark and woody parts, they also use trees for dam and lodge construction. They similarly use tree branches and logs as underwater caches. These underwater caches of food sustain them through the winter when fresh food is scarce.
Myth 4: Beavers are clumsy and slow on land
This myth arises from the misconception that these animals are primarily aquatic and not well-suited to terrestrial environments. Their webbed feet, waterproof fur, and large, paddle-like tails are well-suited for efficient movement in water. However, beavers are more adaptable and agile on land than many people realize.
Fact: Beavers can move effectively and efficiently on terra firma, demonstrating agility, strength, and adaptability. Beavers can walk, run, and even climb slopes, using their strong legs and sharp claws.
Quick Fact #1
The Giant Beaver, Castoroides, is an extinct genus of enormous, bear-sized beavers that lived in North America, Ohio too, during the Pleistocene era. An adult giant beaver could weigh about 220 pounds.
Quick Fact #2
North American Beavers are monogamous and family-oriented: They live in family units, which typically consist of a monogamous pair and their offspring. They work together to maintain their lodges and dams.
Quick Fact #3
Beavers' teeth grow continuously throughout their lives and daily usage helps to trim them down. If beavers were unable to file down their teeth, they would overgrow which could lead to serious health problems and even death.
(This beaver was captured on the Mill Creek in spring 2023:
Photo Credit: Johnny Dwyer of Mill Creek Alliance)