Just like rats and squirrels, a beaver's teeth will grow continually throughout its life. Beavers must chew constantly in order to keep their teeth filed down. Believe it or not, these little fellows are picky eaters!
The beaver is a strict herbivore, which means it eats only plants. The majority of a beaver's diet is made up of tree bark and cambium which is the soft tissue that grows under the bark of a tree. The beaver has a specialized digestive system that helps it digest tree bark. While beavers will eat any bark, they are especially drawn to the bark of willow, maple, birch, aspen, cottonwood, beech, poplar, and alder trees. And because beavers spend so much time in the water, they have an assortment of water plants to choose from. Beavers also eat other vegetation like roots and buds.
We've all heard the
old saying “busy as a beaver”. Funny thing is, beavers
really do keep busy, especially at night. In fact, beavers are such hardworking little creatures that just one beaver by himself can cut down an 8 foot tree in less than 5 minutes! That's one hardworking beaver!