Book 11, Question 59
Why Do Beaver Families Build Together?
Beaver families build together because the work is big, and every beaver can help! Kits learn from their parents and older brothers and sisters. Together they build a safe home and stock up for the winter.
More fun facts
- Beaver family groups are called colonies.
- Family members help each other survive by building lodges and channels, fixing dams, grooming each other and storing branches.
- After just a few months, baby beavers, called kits, help their parents fix dams and lodges.
- Kits often work alongside their older siblings from the year before.
- Young beavers stay with their families for about two to three years before starting their own colony.
- Beavers spend summer and fall building dams and storing food for winter.
Sources: Smithsonian, Smithsonian, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
What do beavers eat in winter?
They store branches during summer and fall to eat through the winter.