Beavers are placed under the category of “amphibious rodents”. When compared to the other animals of this category, the beavers are quite big, and are considered as the largest rodents in North America and Eurasia. In this blog, we will be discussing the question “What Do Beavers Eat?”.
The diet of these rodents depend a lot on their type, and the season under consideration. There are two types of beavers- North American beaver and Eurasian beaver. Each variety has its specific diet and feeding habits. They are herbivorous rodents, and consume different varieties of plants depending upon the seasonal availability.
What Do Beavers Eat? Here are their favorite foods!
Beavers are herbivorous rodents that have the innate ability to consume a wide variety of plant-based foods. However, they are very specific when it comes to the shape and texture of their food. These intelligent rodents also pay a lot of attention to the taste and smell of their food!
The North American beaver enjoys eating different kinds of leaves and woody stems. Aquatic plants also make up a significant portion of their diet. The Eurasian beaver mostly consumes woody plants. Now, let’s go through some of the favorite foods of beavers.
1. Willow Tree
Image credits: RTEC Treecare
Beavers love eating Willow trees. They mostly eat the leaves and the young shoots. The leaves of this tree are an excellent source of several vitamins and nutrients, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, carbohydrates, and more. They also contain other nutrients, like proteins, and fats in small quantities.
2. Birch Tree
Image credits: Forest Preserve District of Will County
These trees are highly nutritious for the beavers. The leaves, stems, and sap of birch contains minerals, like calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and more. It keeps the beavers healthy and active.
3. Aspen tree
Image credits: Science Photo Library
Beavers use the aspen trees as one of their main food sources. They also use the large trunks of the tree as a building material. When it comes to feeding, they prefer the small and young branches. Aspen is a rich source of carbohydrates which offer a good amount of energy to the beavers. It also contains phosphorus, Vitamin A, and more.
4. Poplar Tree
Image credits: Laughing Squid
The leaves, buds, stem, bark, and twigs of poplar trees are consumed by the beavers. It is a rich source of polysaccharides, such as cellulose, and hemicellulose. The digestive system of beavers possess the capacity to break down all these polysaccharides to provide them energy.
5. Alder Tree
Image credits: Bob Armstrong’s Nature Alaska
Another favorite food of the beavers is the alder tree. It is a rich source of antioxidants, which protects the beavers from different health issues. The alder tree also contains flavonoids, salicylates, and tannins, that help in enhancing the overall health of these rodents.
6. Maple Tree
Image credits: Pixels
Beavers also feed on the leaves, barks, and twigs of maple trees. Maple trees are a rich source of different minerals, and vitamins. These include manganese, calcium, riboflavin, potassium, copper, thiamin, and more. Thus, the beavers’ nutritional demands can be fulfilled adequately by consuming the different parts of the maple tree.
7. Aquatic Plants
Image credits: Mass Audubon
The beavers love eating soft aquatic plants, like rushes, water lilies, sedges, and cattails, if they are available near their lodges. If water lilies are present, then they form the major portion of the beaver’s diet.
How seasonal changes affect their feeding habits?
In this section, we will be discussing what do beavers eat during different seasons. Seasonal changes, and the respecting food availability can influence the beaver’s feeding habits and preferences.
1. Mid Spring – Mid Summer
Image credits: Ecotone, Inc
From spring to the mid phase of summer, the beavers feed on succulents, aquatic plants, and shrubs. They eat the twigs, buds, leaves, cambium, and growing tips of the Willow tree.
2. Late Summer – Early Fall
Image credits: Steve Creek Wildlife Photography
During this time of the year, nuts, fruits, and berries become available. So, the beavers mostly feed on these substances to fulfill their nutritional demands. Beavers love feeding on acorns. If agricultural areas are present nearby, then they will consume grains, and corn.
3. Mid and Late Fall
Image credits: The Beaver Lodge
This phase of the year is very important for the beavers, as they collect and store food for the harsh winters. They accumulate water lily rhizomes, shrubs, and tree branches, and store them in the water. This will help them to overcome the food scarcity experienced during the winter months. They mostly consume cambium and bark of woody plants during the fall.
4. Winter – Early Spring
Image credits: SWNewsMedia.com
The winter months are managed by consuming foods stored in the water. When the weather becomes tolerable, they emerge from the water for foraging. However, not much is available for foraging at this stage of the year. Once the spring sets in, the beavers become actively involved in foraging to meet their nutritional requirements.
FAQs
Q1. Where are beavers found?
Beavers are mostly seen in wetland areas, marshes, ponds, streams, lakes, and rivers.
Q2. Do beavers eat other animals?
No, beavers are herbivorous animals that fulfill their nutritional demands by consuming leaves, barks, and branches of trees, like Aspen, Birch, Willow, and more. They also consume aquatic plants.
Q3. What are the two main categories of beavers?
The two main categories of beavers include North American beaver and Eurasian beaver.
Conclusion
Here, we have discussed what do beavers eat in detail. These diet preferences, and seasonal variations are seen in the case of beavers that live in the wild. In captivity, the scenario is a bit different. Here, the beavers are offered a wide variety of vegetables, and fruits, like carrots, yams, lettuce, apples, berries, and more. Rodent chow is also given to the beavers in captivity. Rodent chow is a healthy and complete meal for the beavers which is made from a wide variety of ingredients, like, wheat germ meal, soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, ground oats, wheat middlings, and ground yellow corn.
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