A beaver's teeth never stop growing throughout its life — which is lucky, because a beaver uses them constantly. They can gnaw through a tree trunk as thick as a person's arm in just a few minutes. The bright orange colour of their teeth comes from iron in the enamel, which makes them extra hard and strong.
Beavers build dams to raise the water level in streams, creating a deep pond around their home — a dome-shaped lodge built from sticks and mud. The lodge entrance is underwater, so predators cannot easily get inside. The family sleeps and raises their young safely above the waterline.
Beaver dams do something wonderful for the environment. The ponds they create become home to frogs, fish, ducks, kingfishers, dragonflies, and water plants. Scientists call beavers a 'keystone species' because so many other creatures depend on what beavers build. One family of beavers can transform a quiet trickle into a bustling wetland.
Lithuania has a thriving beaver population, and you can find their work along almost every river — gnawed tree stumps, dams of woven branches, and muddy slides down riverbanks where beavers have been dragging logs. Spotting signs of beavers is a popular activity for children on nature walks.