Beavers can chew through wood easily.
You might say, well yeah, they can chew through small trees, saplings, or trees that have fallen.
But did you know they can chew through big, large, strong trees as well?
They can do this because they have very strong teeth coated with a hard orange enamel.
With strong teeth like theirs, they won’t have problems cutting down trees as large as 33 inches in diameter.
There’s a reason beavers keep chewing.
“A beaver’s teeth never stop growing, so they need to keep gnawing on trees to keep their teeth from getting too long. Gnawing on trees keeps their teeth sharp, strong, and healthy,” Nicky Featherstone wrote for Forest Wildlife.
These busy beavers are multi-taskers.
Plus they’re fast workers as well. Did you know that they can cut trees with their teeth as fast as five to fifteen minutes? Crazy fast.
In fact, in this video, this beaver was able to cut the tree in half in maybe around five to ten minutes.
The video has been edited so we can’t say for sure how long it took.
Chewing is also winter prepping.
The tree bark they chew on provides them with the sustenance they need to survive the winter.
Because access to trees they can chew will be limited, it’s important for beavers to do it during the non-winter seasons.
They will have already fattened up their bodies to sustain them through the cold months.
There is also another reason beavers cut down trees with their teeth.
They’re also building houses.
These trees help build their homes so they can be protected from predators and other animals.
Yes, they can use sticks and leaves but tree trunks are sturdier and won’t be easily destroyed.
And because their homes are built at least 2 feet high and 2 feet deep, they need a stronger foundation.
Does the beaver choose which trees they need to chew on? No, they don’t.
Any species of tree will do.
What is more important is the tree’s proximity to its home water source.
That’s why they also don’t choose whether to chew on small or big trees but they will always choose to chew on smaller trees because it’s faster.
Using trees for their homes actually serves in two ways.
One, it protects them from predators.
When they’re inside, no one else gets in but the beavers. That strong foundation helps everyone else, especially the predators, stay out.
Two, the beavers will be protected from the harsh elements of the winter season.
They built their homes in the middle of the water, away from the shallow areas, so their homes don’t freeze over.
The beavers won’t be cold though because of the fattening they’ve done earlier.
When you watch the video, you’ll see that these beavers know what they’re doing.
He’s an efficient little worker.
They’ve got a technique to make them work efficiently and faster.
Humans could actually learn a thing or two from them about focus and productivity.
Even when there were humans talking loudly around, they were barely distracted and just focused on getting the job done.
See this beaver mow down a tree like it’s nothing in the video below!
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