Composition of Beaver Colonies in Damage Sites of the Southeastern United States
Natural resource managers faced with resolving beaver damage may make decisions based on classic literature suggesting that beavers (Castor canadensis) are monogamous breeders that live in colonies composed of a breeding pair of adults, their offspring, and occasionally the offspring from the previous year; and that beavers typically breed during the winter months and bear their offspring in the spring. We analyzed colony composition at 89 damage sites in seven southeastern states and found deviations from these classic studies. Colony size ranged from 2 to 18 individuals (χ = 5.66, SE...
