American Beaver (Castor canadensis) is in the Beavers family (Castoridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 53,214 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph American Beaver: observations by month (U.S.)
About American Beaver
The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is one of two extant beaver species. It is native to North America and introduced to Patagonia in South America and some European countries (e.g. Finland). In the United States and Canada, the species is often referred to simply as "beaver", though this causes some confusion because another distantly related rodent, Aplodontia rufa, is often called the "mountain beaver". Other vernacular names, including American beaver and Canadian beaver, distinguish this...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
American Beaver by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,809 | April | Aug–Jun |
| Washington | 3,299 | April | Jan–Aug |
| Massachusetts | 3,086 | April | Mar–Jun |
| California | 2,715 | May | Apr–Mar |
| Oregon | 2,550 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Minnesota | 2,506 | April | Mar–Jun |
| Maryland | 2,497 | April | Dec–Jun |
| Virginia | 2,424 | April | Mar–Feb |
| New York | 2,287 | April | Mar–Nov |
| Vermont | 2,253 | April | Mar–Nov |
| Ohio | 2,214 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Pennsylvania | 1,848 | April | Oct–Jul |
| Colorado | 1,685 | April | Mar–Oct |
| Michigan | 1,544 | April | Mar–Oct |
| North Carolina | 1,538 | April | Oct–Jul |
| Illinois | 1,527 | April | Mar–Jun |
| New Hampshire | 1,423 | May | Mar–Oct |
| New Jersey | 1,252 | March | Nov–Jul |
| Maine | 867 | June | Apr–Oct |
| Wisconsin | 798 | May | Mar–Dec |
| Utah | 707 | April | Mar–Oct |
| Tennessee | 654 | April | Nov–Jul |
| Connecticut | 643 | April | Mar–Jan |
| Alaska | 634 | July | May–Sep |
| New Mexico | 613 | April | Apr–Jun |
| Georgia | 560 | April | Dec–Jul |
| Alabama | 533 | February | Sep–May |
| Montana | 532 | July | Mar–Oct |
| Indiana | 531 | April | Feb–Jul |
| Idaho | 525 | April | Feb–Sep |
| Wyoming | 492 | July | May–Sep |
| Oklahoma | 475 | April | Mar–May |
| South Carolina | 449 | February | Nov–Sep |
| Missouri | 367 | April | Oct–Jun |
| Iowa | 353 | March | Oct–May |
| West Virginia | 334 | May | Apr–Mar |
| Arkansas | 314 | March | Jul–May |
| Kansas | 277 | April | Oct–Jun |
| Kentucky | 272 | April | Nov–Jun |
| Nevada | 259 | July | Jun–May |
| District of Columbia | 224 | April | Mar–May |
| Arizona | 216 | June | Mar–Aug |
| Delaware | 214 | March | Jan–Aug |
| Louisiana | 166 | March | Jan–Apr |
| Nebraska | 164 | April | Mar–May |
| Florida | 139 | March | Dec–May |
| Mississippi | 138 | January | Oct–Apr |
| Rhode Island | 126 | May | Mar–Jun |
| South Dakota | 96 | May | Mar–Jul |
| North Dakota | 85 | May | Feb–Sep |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Photography tips
- Keep a legal and safe distance: 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other large animals in national parks.
- Dawn and dusk are peak activity times for most mammals.
- Use your car as a blind on wildlife drives.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph American Beaver?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from March to February.
Where is American Beaver most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, Washington, Massachusetts.