The most instrumental behavior beavers have adapted is their tendency to “engineer,” by creating lodges and dams. This trait is incredibly important because it characterizes beavers as a keystone species, meaning that their behavior wields immense influence on their ecosystem. The evolutionary path of the beaver did not only yield a more capable and environmentally fit animal, but a greatly altered ecosystem.
Beaver dams create environmental shifts which are advantageous to the beaver and many other species, but they also serve as beavers’ homes. In these homes, beavers practice familial behaviors like lifelong mating and raising large families (commonly having as many as 10 kits), as well as mutually sharing the responsibilities thereof.
Environmental Adaptations of the Beaver 