The Eurasian beaver, Castor fiber, is a large semi-aquatic rodent in the family Castoridae. Animal Diversity Web gives its length as 73 to 135 centimetres and its weight as 13 to 35 kilograms, with a soft dark grey undercoat beneath long reddish brown guard hairs, a naked, scaly, flattened tail, webbed hind feet and orange-enamelled incisors. Its tail is narrower and its skull smaller than those of the North American beaver. It lives in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, usually in forested areas but also in marshes and swamps, builds lodges and food caches, and feeds mainly on willow, aspen and birch in winter and on aquatic plants in summer. Hunting for fur and castoreum took the species close to extinction, with an estimated 1300 animals left in the twentieth century, and reintroductions have since re-established scattered populations in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia and central Russia. The IUCN Red List treats it as Least Concern with increasing populations.
Facts
Classification
Population Trend System (Realm) ThreatsTransportation and Service Corridors 1 ThreatsBiological Resource Use 1 Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleAgricultural or Structural Pest 1 Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Relationship to PeopleEaten or Drunk by People 1 Living or Extinct Scientific Name Conservation Status Population Estimate Body Size Band Activity Pattern Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Castor, Taxa Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
In Biome
Lake, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
River, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
In Ecosystem
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)Geographic RangeQuote, Geographic Range
Populations are now established in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia, and central Russia.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)Geographic RangeQuote, Geographic Range
Populations are now established in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia, and central Russia.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)Geographic RangeQuote, Geographic Range
Populations are now established in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia, and central Russia.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)Geographic RangeQuote, Geographic Range
Populations are now established in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia, and central Russia.
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web: Castor fiber (Eurasian beaver)
Conservation Status
The IUCN redlist considers Eurasian beavers a species of least concern with increasing populations and sufficient protection
Conservation Status, trend
a species of least concern with increasing populations and sufficient protection
Food Habits
Eurasian beavers are herbivores, feeding primarily on woody vegetation in the winter months.
Habitat
Eurasian beavers are semi-aquatic and inhabit freshwater systems, including lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams
Geographic Range
Populations are now established in France, Germany, Poland, southern Scandinavia, and central Russia.
Behavior
Eurasian beavers are primarily nocturnal, although they may also be active during the day.
Physical Description
Eurasian beavers weigh from 13 to 35 kg and are 73 to 135 cm in length.
Conservation Status, CITES
No special status
Economic Importance for Humans, positive
Eurasian beavers were heavily trapped and hunted for their pelts, castoreum, and meat.
Economic Importance for Humans, food
Beaver meat was also prized as food.
Economic Importance for Humans, castoreum
Castoreum was used as a medicine and a base for perfumes.
Economic Importance for Humans, negative
The most numerous nuisance complaints are flooding farm lands and crop destruction from eating and flooding.
Predation, causes of death
Poaching, entanglement in nets, and road accidents are the leading causes of death.
Predation, road deaths
road accidents are the leading causes of death
Lifespan/Longevity
A confirmed record of longevity in captivity in Castor fiber was 13.7 years old.
Scientific Classification
Species Castor fiber Eurasian beaver
Child Taxon Of: Castor, Scientific Classification, genus
Genus Castor beavers
Child Taxon Of: Castoridae, Scientific Classification, family
Family Castoridae beavers
In Biome: Lake, Habitat, lakes
inhabit freshwater systems, including lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, usually in forested areas but also in marshes and swamps
In Biome: River, Habitat, rivers
including lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams
In Biome: Wetlands, Habitat, wetlands
but also in marshes and swamps
In Biome: Riparian Zone, Habitat, riparian
Other Habitat Features riparian
In Ecosystem: Freshwater ecosystem, Habitat, freshwater
inhabit freshwater systems
View the Source2. Eurasian beaver (Wikipedia)
LeadQuote, Lead
with a rapidly increasing population of 1.5 million in 2020
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