American Beaver - Castor canadensis

The American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two living species of beavers that belong to the Family Castoridae—the other species of beaver is the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). The American beaver can reach weights in excess of 30 kg, making it the world's second largest rodent. Only the capybara of South America is larger.

American beavers are stocky and have a compact body and short legs. Beavers are aquatic rodents and have a number of adaptations that make them adept swimmers including webbed feet and a broad, flat tail covered with scales. Beavers have a pair of glands located at the base of their tail. These glands, called castor glands, secrete an oil that has a distinct musk odor and the beaver uses the oil to mark its territory and to waterproof its fur.

Beavers have very large teeth in proportion to their skull. Their teeth and are coated with a tough enamel that is orange to chestnut brown in color. Beavers' teeth grow continuously and are warn away and sharped as the beaver chews through trees and bark. Beavers have strong chewing muscles and singificant biting strength.