
Eurasian beaver
Extinct from Scotland for 400 years, beavers once again inhabit our riparian broadleaved woodland next to standing waters or slow-moving streams.
Extinct from Scotland for 400 years, beavers once again inhabit our riparian broadleaved woodland next to standing waters or slow-moving streams.
The Eurasian or European beaver (Castor fiber) occurs from Western Europe eastwards to the Chinese-Mongolian border region. The world population of beavers is thought to be around 1 million individuals, most of which occur towards Eastern Europe.
Beavers inhabit riparian broadleaved woodland next to standing freshwaters or slow moving streams. Totally herbivorous, beavers will feed on herbaceous and woody broadleaved species. These monogamous animals live in family groups and favour burrows in banks as nesting places.
Beavers will sometimes:
While beavers present challenges for some aspects of land use, restoration of this ‘ecosystem engineer’ will benefit a wide range of species and habitats.
The Eurasian beaver seems to have once been widespread across Britain. Some paleontological and archaeological finds, along with written historical accounts, suggest that it was present in Scotland until the early 16th century.
Over-hunting of the beaver, particularly for its valuable pelt, appears to have been the main cause of its extinction.
Find out how to submit records of mammal sightings on The Mammal Society website.
Understanding the Ecosystem Engineer
Beavers as protected species
Reintroducing native species
Read our guidance for planners and developers on protected animal
Beaver chapter – Species Action Framework Handbook