The beaver is mostly nocturnal. It’s a large, semi-aquatic rodent. They’re known for building dams, canals, and lodges (their homes). They are the second largest rodent in the world, after the capybara. Beaver colonies build dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators and to float food and building materials. There has been a decline in population due to hunting. They are valued for their fur but they are hunted also because their dam building is considered a nuisance. Beaver pairs mate for life. Their hind feet are webbed and they have a broad, flat, scaly tail. Their eyesight is poor but their other senses are keen. Their teeth grow continuously so they won’t be worn down chewing on wood, which is the main part of their diets and the way the cut wood for their building. They are herbivores but prefer the wood of quaking aspen, cottonwood, alder, birch, maple and cherry trees. They weigh up to 55lbs and live up to 24 years of age in the wild.