Beaver
(Adopted 1969)

Our largest rodent (weighs up to 60 pounds). It has rich brown fur, huge gnawing teeth, webbed hind feet, and a naked, scaly, paddle-shaped tail. It fells trees by gnawing and uses branches to build stick and mud dams. The dams create protective ponds, in which it builds a domed lodge, or house. The Beaver may live along rivers, where it burrows into banks and does not build dams. It feeds on bark and small twigs, stashing a supply of branches underwater for winter use. At one time found almost everywhere in North America, the Beaver has survived heavy trapping and is being reintroduced into many areas, including western rangelands.