What Do Beavers Eat? – A Look at Their Herbivorous Diet

2025-03-06 15:22:35 5

Beavers (Castor canadensis in North America and Castor fiber in Europe) are herbivorous, semi-aquatic rodents known for their ability to construct dams and lodges. Their diet consists exclusively of plant material, with a preference for tree bark, leaves, and aquatic vegetation. This article explores what beavers eat, their feeding habits, and how their diet impacts their environment.

1. What Do Beavers Eat?

(1) Tree Bark and Cambium (Primary Food Source)

Beavers are best known for eating the inner bark (cambium) of trees. They gnaw through tree trunks and branches to access this nutrient-rich layer.

Preferred Trees: Aspen, willow, birch, poplar, maple, alder.
Why They Eat Bark: Cambium is high in fiber and nutrients, essential for their survival, especially in winter.

(2) Twigs, Branches, and Leaves

Beavers strip leaves and smaller branches from trees before storing them underwater for later consumption.
They consume soft twigs and shoots, particularly in spring and summer.

(3) Aquatic Plants and Roots

Beavers also eat water lilies, cattails, pondweed, and reeds.
These plants provide additional vitamins and hydration, especially in warm months.

(4) Grasses, Shrubs, and Herbs

In warmer seasons, beavers graze on grasses, ferns, clover, and wildflowers.
They supplement their diet with shrubs and bushes growing near riverbanks.

2. Seasonal Changes in Diet

Season	Main Foods	Why?
Spring & Summer	Leaves, grasses, aquatic plants	Abundant fresh vegetation
Fall	Bark, twigs, tree branches	Preparing for winter food storage
Winter	Stored branches, bark, cambium	Frozen rivers limit fresh vegetation

Beavers store tree branches underwater before winter, ensuring food access when rivers freeze.

3. How Beavers' Diet Affects Their Habitat

(1) Tree Cutting and Ecosystem Impact

By chewing down trees, beavers create ponds that support aquatic life.
Their selective feeding on aspen and willow helps regenerate forests by promoting new growth.

(2) Nutrient Recycling

Beavers spread organic matter into water bodies, enriching soil and promoting biodiversity.

4. Conclusion

Beavers are strict herbivores that primarily eat tree bark, twigs, leaves, aquatic plants, and grasses. Their diet plays a crucial role in shaping wetland ecosystems, providing habitats for other wildlife. Their feeding and dam-building behaviors make them key ecosystem engineers.

animal tags： beavers