Overview: American Beavers (Castor canadensis) are medium-sized (size of a small dog) rodents of ponds and marshes. The head and body are unmarked, making their broad, flat, scaly tail their most distinguishing feature. Beaver are seldom seen, but their handiwork -- beaver dams and cut trees -- reveal their presence.

Diet: American Beavers eat vegetation, especially the bark of young trees. They also eat shrubs and buds during spring.

Taxonomy: Order Rodentia: Rodents; Family Castoridae: Beaver.

Where to Find: Natural habitat for American Beavers is wet places such as slow-moving streams and swamps, uncommon habitat around Las Vegas, but look for Beavers along Las Vegas Wash or up in Zion National Park. In the Las Vegas Wash, they are becoming fairly common in the Clark County Wetland Preserve and as far up the stream channels as East Owens Ave.

With the end of market hunting and with habitat improvements in the lower Las Vegas Wash, American Beavers have reclaimed some of their historical range.