The great Canadian beaver! This is an animal that Canadians take pride in for it’s resourcefulness and industrious nature.

No other animal on Earth – aside from man – has the power to transform land as much as the beaver can! These semi-aquatic rodents are the second largest in the world, after the Capybara of South America.

Known for their ability to dam lakes and rivers and build impressive beaver lodges, they were once hunted for their furs. Today, they are mostly protected, but beaver hunting does still occur. The Canadian beaver is actually one of dozens of subspecies of beavers found across the world, although most people only bother to differentiate between Eurasian and North American beavers.

Beavers do not hibernate in the winter time, they remain somewhat active and will come out to feed. They do so by leaving a hole in the bottom of their lodge so they can swim in and out. They also leave a hole in the top of their lodge to let air escape. Sometimes in winter you can see steam coming from the top of an active beaver lodge!