Where Do Beavers Live?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 10, 2020

Beavers live in freshwater within temperate forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere. There are two distinct species of beaver: one that lives in Eurasia, and one that lives in the Unites States and Canada. Both are semi-aquatic animals.

Beavers live in and around ponds, swamps, streams, marshes, wetlands and rivers. Since beavers build their shelters out of wood within water, they require both plenty of trees and at least some amount of freshwater in the area to survive. When beavers construct their shelters, called dams, they often block off moving water and cause the surrounding area to flood. This creates a wetland that supports many other species, in addition to providing new habit for beavers.