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genus Castor
Beaver
Beavers are known for their natural trait of building dams on rivers and streams, and building their homes (known as "lodges") in the resulting pond. Beavers also build canals to float build materials that are difficult to haul over land Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge 36.523, -75.950
Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge 36.523, -75.950
That is not a Coypu (nutria). I see nutria all the time near where I live. Even without a clear picture of its tail you can tell by its ears, eyes and nose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver
It is a bit hard to tell in the photo but I think I agree that this looks a lot like a Beaver (Castor canadensis) or a Nutria (Myocastor coypus).
Beavers have wide flat tails that look like a paddle. Beavers are also quite large (35-50 lbs).
If the tail was more narrow like a large rat tail (but flattened) then it is likely a Nutria. Nutria are smaller than Beavers, usually around a maximum of 20 lbs. They have white hair on their muzzles.
A third option would be a Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). Muskrats are much smaller than the Beaver and Nutria (max 4 lbs) but are similar in appearance.
Spotted on May 21, 2011
Submitted on Sep 2, 2012
