Eurasian Beaver Curriculum vitae

Eurasian Beaver

Latin name: Castor fiber 
Size: Up to 1m     
Weight: 18-30 kg   
Lifespan: Average of 7-8 years (sometimes up to 25 years)

Family life

• Monogamous, family-focused mammal. 1-4 kits are born each spring and stay with the group for two years.
• Strictly vegetarian, eating a variety of wetland vegetation.

Achievements

• Played a crucial role in shaping the UK’s wetland landscapes since prehistoric times. Created mosaics of lakes, meres, mires, tarns and boggy places which supported hundreds of other species.
• Provided economic and social benefits to people from the British Isles and continental Europe by making landscapes more beautiful, resilient and biodiverse.

Aspirations

• Build dams to trap sediment, improve water quality, hold back floodwater, recharge groundwater tables and increase cover for fish and aquatic invertebrates.
• Create wetland habitat suitable for Water Voles, Otters, Water Shrews, snakes, frogs, toads, dragonflies, damselflies, birds, butterflies and marsh plants.
• Coppice waterside trees and shrubs, leading to thick low-level regrowth to benefit birds and other animals.
• Bring pleasure to local people and wildlife watchers.

Special requirements

• Currently extinct in Surrey (hunted to national extinction for fur and castoreum - a scent gland secretion used in perfumes and medicine - in the 1600s), so need help to return.
• Supervision required to ensure impact on landscapes and property is properly monitored and managed.
• 3km2 of safe territory per family required.

Fun facts about me

• Can remain underwater for 15 minutes.
• Can digest tree bark.
• Second-heaviest global rodent, beaten only by the South American Capybara.
• Flat, paddle-like tail is called a ‘scoop’.
• Reintroduced to habitats across more than 25 European countries.

Ecosystem Engineers Appeal

Surrey Wildlife Trust is on a mission to restore Surrey’s natural world - and we think that the Eurasian Beaver can help us do this. These incredible animals could help to transform our landscapes, creating thriving wetlands that benefit both wildlife and people.

Learn more & donate