LOUISIANA FUR ADVISORY COUNCIL
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Beaver (Castor canadensis) 

Printable Beaver Trading Card
Louisiana BeaverBeavers are North America's largest rodent.
Appearance: humped back, wide flat tail (11-15 inches long, 6 inches wide), average adult weight is 33 pounds, 35-45 inches, 20 teeth, webbed feet, castor glands on the abdomen, which produce oil that the beaver rubs into its fur to waterproof it, ears and nose have valves which close when submerged, has only a single lower body opening called cloaca (similar to birds and reptiles)

Habits: they build dams, construct conical shaped lodging with sticks and mud above waterline, mark their territory with castor oil and mounds of mud and debris, very territorial, can hold breath for 12-15 minutes and travels miles underwater

Reproduction: sexually mature at 2 years, breeds in winter or early spring, gestation is 115-120 days, average litter is 3, young stay with parents for 2 years

Food habits: strictly vegetarian, consuming cambium layer of many woody plants, such as sweetgum, yellow poplar, and willow

Beaver Range Map

Habitat: wooded rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, backwaters 

Controls: beavers are prey to wolves, bobcats, bears, coyotes; young are prey to eagle and owls as well

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Distribution: widespread throughout north central Louisiana; in every north American state and Canadian Province ​
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Values: beavers alter the habitat a great deal, dams result in flooding of lowlands, which provides a better habitat for muskrats, many fish, and waterfowl; mink and otter hunt regularly around beaver dams; dams cause property damage to crops and roads; beaver host an internal parasite, giardiasis, which can affect our drinking water

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Alligator Advisory Council Website
Range map credits: Data provided by NatureServe in collaboration with Bruce Patterson, Wes Sechrest, Marcelo Tognelli, Gerardo Ceballos, The Nature Conservancy—Migratory Bird Program, Conservation International—CABS, World Wildlife Fund—US, and Environment Canada—WILDSPACE.

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  • Council
    • Louisiana Fur Council Meeting Schedule
    • Louisiana Fur Council Members
    • Louisiana Fur Annual Reports
  • Industry
    • Louisiana Trapping Regulations
    • Shipping Louisiana Furs
    • Louisiana Fur Dealers
    • Tanning/Manufacturing
  • Trapper Education
    • Trapping Courses & Resources
    • Louisiana Fur & Pelt Handling
    • Nutria Grading
    • Skull Cleaning
    • Trapping Benefits
    • Nutria Meat and Recipes
  • Outreach Education
    • Community Outreach
    • Louisiana Furbearers >
      • Beaver
      • Bobcat
      • Coyote
      • Gray Fox
      • Red Fox
      • Mink
      • Muskrat
      • Nutria
      • Opossum
      • Otter
      • Raccoon
      • Striped Skunk