Types of Beavers in New Hampshire

American Beavers in New Hampshire grow to a length of 3 to 4 feet from nose to tail tip, with their distinctive tail adding 8 to 10 inches. Weight varies with age and sex; young beavers weigh under 15 pounds, while fully mature adults range from 35 to 65 pounds. Winter-trapped beavers are often heavier as they prepare for cold months. The largest beavers on record in New Hampshire have exceeded 100 pounds, but this is uncommon.

Beavers are unmistakable when you see them clearly. Look for their flat, paddle-shaped tail covered in dark scales and large webbed hind feet. Their reddish-brown to nearly black fur is dense and waterproof. The most distinctive feature is their large orange front teeth, visible when they swim or emerge on land. Their chunky, low-slung body and small rounded ears complete the profile. No other mammal in New Hampshire has this combination of features.

In the field, it is difficult to distinguish male from female beavers without close observation or capture. Both sexes are similar in size, fur color, and body shape. Males are typically somewhat larger than females, but the difference is not always obvious. Both build dams and lodges and fell trees. Only detailed examination of reproductive anatomy or radio-collar tracking reveals reliable sex differences in wild populations.

American Beavers maintain their fur color year-round, though their appearance can shift slightly with seasonal grooming and wear. In spring, after shedding their thick winter undercoat, beavers may appear slightly lighter or more sleek. By fall, they develop a dense, lustrous coat for winter insulation. Water and lighting conditions also affect how their fur appears in photographs and from a distance, making them seem darker or lighter than they actually are.

The easiest way to spot a beaver is to look for signs rather than the animal itself. Search for fresh gnaw marks on trees, mud-and-stick dams across streams, and conical lodge structures in ponds. Beavers are most active at dawn and dusk, so watch pond edges during these times. Spring through early summer (April to June) offers the best viewing opportunity, as beavers are active and visible after winter. Listen for splashes and tail slaps that signal alarm or communication.

American Beavers in New Hampshire remain active year-round. They do not hibernate but stay inside their lodges and burrows during winter, reliving on stored wood and vegetation. They maintain air holes in the ice over their lodges and exits to underwater wood piles they have assembled. In spring, as ice melts and water levels rise, beavers emerge to repair dams and lodges. Summer is peak activity season, when young-of-the-year are visible and beavers range more widely. Fall brings renewed dam and lodge maintenance as cold approaches.

American Beavers are social animals that live in family colonies called colonies or lodges. A typical colony includes a breeding pair, yearlings, and the current year's young (kits), totaling 5 to 10 individuals per lodge. Large, well-established colonies may exceed 12 beavers. Each colony defends a territory along a stretch of stream or around a pond. When you observe a dam or lodge in New Hampshire, you are observing the work of an entire family, not just one beaver.

Beavers are herbivores that eat bark, leaves, and aquatic plants. In fall and winter, they rely heavily on bark stripped from stored logs and branches. Aspen, birch, and willow are preferred food trees. In spring and summer, they consume fresh leaves, water lilies, cattails, and ferns. Young aspens and birches are preferred; large conifers like hemlocks are eaten only when other food is scarce. Their diet does not include fish or other animals, though people often mistakenly believe beavers are carnivorous.