Stats

Lifespan

10-20 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

North America

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Burrowing

Status

Common

About

A large semi-aquatic rodent famous for felling trees and engineering dams; its self-sharpening orange incisors are coloured by iron-rich enamel that makes them stronger than ordinary teeth.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn pup

   A blind, hairless pup nurses in the nest and is unable to regulate its own warmth.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A weaned juvenile is fully furred, leaves the nest, and begins foraging on solid food.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown and self-sufficient.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Castoridae

Genus

Castor

Species

Castor canadensis