Are there beavers in indiana

The average Indiana beaver weighs 35 pounds. They are the largest rodent in North America. Like most other rodents, a beavers front teeth grow throughout its life. The most unusual part of the beaver is its tail. The tail is used for many functions but is seldom used as a trowel for carrying mud. Beaver have very few enemies. Predation is limited primarily to man.

They can be found throughout Indiana in small colonies in lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, etc. A typical colony consists of 4 to 8 beaver. Despite the delicacy of the habitat and the apparent destruction of the beavers, Swinford said the goal isn't to eliminate the beaver population from the preserve altogether, but to reduce it. You could be introducing diseases, if they have any, to other areas or putting them in another animal's territory, which could cause problems," he said.

Swinford said beavers thrive in the southwestern nature preserve because they're a tough species that don't have many predators to keep their natural balance.

Damage Prevention and Control. Beaver control is best accomplished as soon as there is evidence of beaver damage. Once beaver colonies become established over a large area, controlling them can be difficult and costly.

Fencing of culverts, drain pipes or other structures can sometimes prevent damage; however, beavers often simply incorporate the fence into their dam. Fencing lakes and ponds to exclude beavers is generally not practical. Barriers of sheet metal, chainlink fence, or hardware cloth placed around the bases of valuable trees may help prevent damage. The barrier should extend from ground level to a height of about 4 feet.

The Clemson pond leveler perforated pipe encased with heavy duty wire or a T-shaped pipe can be introduced into the beaver dam for the purpose of water management. This will allow water to continue to flow and prevents beavers from repairing the dam.

For information on constructing a pond leveler, contact the Wildlife Conflicts Information Hotline A variety of traps and trapping methods is effective in controlling beavers. Live traps, leghold traps, conibear traps and snares can be used. Trapping and removal of beavers is a difficult and complex task often best left to professionals.

Check the this web site for a list of professional nuisance wildlife control operators in your area. At the present time there are no toxicants, fumigants or repellents registered for the control of beavers. Beavers are classified as furbearers in Indiana. Other furbearers include opossum, mink, skunk, weasel, raccoon, muskrat, fox, and coyote.