Animal Guide

American Beaver

35 destinations · 25 states

Native Range: North America, from Alaska and Canada through much of the United States

The American beaver is much more than a large rodent with a flat tail. Watch one around water and you'll see a remarkably capable builder at work. Its broad, scaly tail acts as a rudder while swimming and can also help it balance on land or slap the water as an alarm signal. Powerful orange incisors never stop growing, so beavers constantly gnaw wood to keep them worn down. Those teeth are useful for much more than feeding. By cutting trees and branches, beavers build dams, lodges, and underwater entrances that reshape the habitat around them. In an exhibit, look for the way a beaver carries sticks or vegetation, dives underwater, or pauses to groom its dense waterproof fur. They are mostly active around dusk and at night, so daytime visitors may catch them resting before a sudden burst of activity. The ponds and wetlands created by beavers can also provide shelter and food for fish, amphibians, birds, and other wildlife. Seeing one swim underwater makes its adaptations especially clear: small eyes, webbed hind feet, and a streamlined body moving with surprising speed.

American Beaver

Where to see American Beaver

35 destinations across 25 states

35 destinations

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Tucson, AZ

Bear Hollow Zoo

Athens, GA

Bearizona Wildlife Park

Williams, AZ

Buttonwood Park Zoo

New Bedford, MA

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Colorado Springs, CO

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland, OH

Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Powell, OH

Detroit Zoo

Royal Oak, MI

High Desert Museum

Bend, OR

Hutchinson Zoo

Hutchinson, KS

Lincoln Park Zoo

Chicago, IL

Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo

Monroe, LA

Minnesota Zoo

Apple Valley, MN

Mississippi Aquarium

Gulfport, MS

North Georgia Wildlife Park & Safari

Cleveland, GA

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Eatonville, WA

Ochsner Park Zoo

Baraboo, WI

Oklahoma Aquarium

Jenks, OK

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

Omaha, NE

Orange County Zoo

Orange, CA

Oregon Zoo

Portland, OR

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

Pittsburgh, PA

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Tacoma, WA

Salisbury Zoological Park

Salisbury, MD

San Diego Zoo

San Diego, CA

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Washington, DC

Spring River Zoo

Roswell, NM

Staten Island Zoo

Staten Island, NY

The Jackson Zoo

Jackson, MS

Utica Zoo

Utica, NY

Virginia Living Museum

Newport News, VA

Wildwood Wildlife Park Zoo & Safari

Minocqua, WI

Wonders Of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium

Springfield, MO

Zoo in Forest Park & Education Center

Springfield, MA

Zoo Knoxville

Knoxville, TN

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