The beaver is the largest rodent on the continent and has teeth that are ever-growing. Beavers use their sharp teeth to cut down trees. They then use the timber to build large, elaborate nests inside ponds. Their nests are dome-shaped lodges with underwater entrances. If there is no pond, beavers will create one by building a dam to block a stream. The moat around their lodges keeps wolves, coyotes, and other predators away.
Beavers live both on land and in water. Adaptations such as closeable ears and nostrils, webbed hind feet, very dense fur coats, and paddlelike tails allow beavers to be semi-aquatic.
- The beaver's nest