Types of Beavers in Georgia

North American beavers are the sole beaver species in Georgia. They are native to the state and thrive in the Okefenokee Swamp, Altamaha River drainage, Chattahoochee National Forest waterways, and coastal river systems. Beavers were nearly extirpated from Georgia by the 1800s due to fur trapping, but populations have recovered since reintroduction and protection efforts began in the mid-1900s.

Adult North American beavers in Georgia typically weigh 30 to 60 pounds, with some reaching 70 pounds. They are the second-largest rodents in North America after the porcupine. Body length ranges from 36 to 48 inches, including their distinctive flat tail, which can measure 10 to 16 inches long and 4 to 6 inches wide. The tail serves as a rudder in water, a fat storage organ, and a tool for swimming and climbing.

Beavers have dense, waterproof brown fur that ranges from medium to dark brown. Their stocky, compact body sits low to the ground on short, webbed hind feet and smaller front feet with sharp claws for digging and dam building. The most recognizable feature is the flat, paddle-shaped tail covered in dark, scaley skin. Their head is broad with small rounded ears, and their incisors never stop growing, which drives their need to chew wood constantly.

Beaver tracks are distinctive. Their hind feet are about 5 inches long and show webbing between toes. Front paw prints are smaller, around 2 inches, with claw marks. In mud or snow, you may see a tail drag mark between the tracks. Look for stripped bark on trees, gnawed wood chips around stumps, and cut branches near waterlines. Mud slides down riverbanks and the damming material itself are unmistakable signs of active beaver presence.

Beavers are generally quiet, but they produce distinctive vocalizations when communicating or alarmed. A loud slapping sound on the water surface with their tail signals danger to other beavers and is audible from a distance. In breeding season, they produce grunts, hisses, and squeaks within and around their lodges. These sounds carry through water and are most active from dusk through night.

North American beavers show some fur color variation across their range, but Georgia beavers are primarily brown to dark brown. Rarely, lighter or reddish-brown individuals occur, and albino or near-white beavers are extraordinarily rare. The undercoat is dense and oily, while guard hairs are longer and give the animal its darker appearance. Fur color does not indicate a separate species or subspecies in Georgia.

Beavers are unmistakable among Georgia rodents due to their size and flat tail. Nutrias, also found in Georgia wetlands, are smaller (15 to 20 pounds) and have round, rat-like tails. Muskrats are much smaller (2 to 4 pounds) and lack the beaver's broad head and engineering prowess. Unlike beavers, nutrias and muskrats do not fell trees or build substantial dams. The beaver's size, tail, and dam-building behavior make it unique.

A beaver lodge is a mound-shaped structure of sticks, logs, and mud that houses the family group, typically 2 to 20 feet in diameter. The entrance is underwater to protect residents from predators. A dam is a barrier built across a stream to create a pond, raising water levels for safety and food storage. Beavers may construct a dam without a lodge if they live in existing burrows, but in Georgia, lodges in ponds are common in the Okefenokee and Altamaha River areas.

A typical beaver family consists of the breeding pair and their kits and yearlings, numbering 4 to 8 individuals. Kits are born in spring, usually 3 to 4 per litter. Yearlings from the previous year often remain through their first year and then disperse to find new territory. Large families may number up to 10 or more when multiple generations overlap, but solitary beavers also occur, especially males seeking new habitat.

Beavers are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dusk, night, and dawn. You are most likely to see them during these hours, particularly in quieter wetlands and rivers with minimal human disturbance. In Georgia, spring and early summer (April through June) offer longer twilight hours and increased activity as families prepare for winter. Winter activity is lower as beavers remain in or near their lodges, drawing on cached food.