Beavers are the largest rodents in North America, and are among the very few species of animals that can dramatically modify their environment. They are stocky with golden-brown to black fur, and a thick, tapering tail that acts as a rudder when swimming. Beavers are known to smack their tails on the water when irritated or if danger is afoot, letting others know to go to deeper water.

- They have orange, iron-rich enameled teeth that grow continually, and can snap a healthy, thick branch in half with one bite. They build dome-like lodges in the summer and fall, forming little islands that are accessible by water. A lodge can have multiple underwater entrances, with living quarters located along the top above the water line. 

- These semi-aquatic herbivores eat leaves, woody stems, wood, and aquatic plants. Some of their favorite foods are poplar, aspen, willow, birch and maple. They are also fastidious groomers, and have a “preening toe,” a unique double toenail that they use as a comb to maintain their soft fur, waterproofing it, and ensuring proper insulation.

- Beavers form strong family bonds. They are social critters, and each group is made up of one breeding pair, the year's kits and the offspring from the previous year, called yearlings. It's generally believed that beavers pair for life. They breed in the winter from January to late February, and females give birth in the spring.

- The beaver, once the most sought after furbearer in North America, was nearly nearly made extinct in South Carolina by the late 1800s through uncontrolled trapping. Beavers were reintroduced into the Pee Dee region of eastern South Carolina in 1940 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they may be trapped legally with a special gaming license today.