Badger Vs Beaver: The Distinctive Traits of Badgers and Beavers

Badgers and beavers are very well-known animals due to their own reasons. They have several similar features and also exist some differences. In this article, we are going to discuss these animals in detail and will let you know what similarities and differences exist between these animals. First of all, we will have a look at the basic facts about the badger and beaver.

Contents

Badger
Beavers
Main differences between badgers and beavers
Badger vs Beaver – Comparison Table
Frequently asked questions
Conclusion

Badger

Badgers are short-legged and fat bodies animals and have very cute appearances. They have small ears but long heads. You can easily identify them by their black faces with white color markings stripes on their mouth. They belong to the weasel family and come with very short tails. They live in underground dens which they dig for themselves. Generally, it is not advised to keep these animals as pets because after all these are wild animals.

American badger
European badger

Beavers

Beavers are thick-bodies animals having very thick red color fur on their body. They could easily reside or swim in cold areas because they have very warm and waterproof coats. The physical structure of the beaver has been designed in such a way that their hairs, lips, and nails are quite good for its long-term survival.

They are easily adaptable to various kinds of environments. They build their homes along the rivers, lakes, and ponds and also make an entrance under the water. The houses are called lodges. They are very smart animals and use their front teeth to cut trees and logs for making their homes.

They also have the capability to alarm other animals about the upcoming danger. When they sense any danger, they flap their tails and started to swim. These are the signals of danger that are coming toward the other animals. Other animals will run away or take hide anywhere.

See our article for Badger vs Skunk

Main differences between badgers and beavers

Let’s have a look at the key differences between these animals.

Badgers like to live in underground dens or burrows which they specially make for themselves according to their own requirements while the beavers like to make their homes near water bodies like rivers, lakes, or dams and they also make an entrance through the water.
Badgers are very fast animals and they can run as fast as 19 mph while it is difficult to estimate the speed of the beavers because they spend most of their time underwater.
Badgers have a very short life span and they also like to take a lot of risks in their life. That’s why the life span of the badger varies between 10 to 15 years. While beavers have a very long life span and they also live very carefully and they don’t take any risks. On average, the life span of the beaver varies between 20 to 30 years which is almost double the life span of the badgers.
Female badgers can give birth to cubs in the range of 3 to 5 while the beavers have a high birth rate. The female beaver could easily give birth to 6 to 8 kits at a time.
Badgers are very aggressive, tough, and wild creatures and they never act smartly while beavers are considered very smart animals, and they are very well groomed and take most of the decisions about their life very wisely.
Badgers have dozen of species while the beavers have just two species named American and Eurasian beavers.
Beavers are very good swimmers and the body of the beaver has been specifically designed for swimming. For instance, they can close their ears and nostrils. Moreover, they have transparent membranes on their eyes. These things make swimming ideal for them. On the other hand, badgers are not good swimmers and they usually avoid swimming and only do it in case of emergency.
Water is an essential part of beaver life. They live around wet areas and avoid dry areas. They build their dome-shaped homes in the mud and grasses. They could also divert canal water into their own habitat region. They create their own very clean water ponds for bathing and other water usage. On the other hand, badgers don’t like to live in wet areas, they prefer dry open fields or grasslands.
Both creatures are nocturnal by nature and spend most of their time eating and building their homes.

Badger vs Beaver – Comparison Table

Features	Badgers	Beavers
Size	Average size	Small size
Speed	19 mph	5 mph
Habitat	Live underground	Live underground but near water bodies.
Lifespan	10-15 years	20-30 years
Reproduction	3-5 cubs	6-8 kits
Grooming	Not groomed enough	Very groomed
Species	Dozens of species	Only two species
Swimming	Avoid swimming	Good swimmers
Mating season	March to April	Between January and February.
General Appearance	Shot-legged and fat-bodied	Warm and red fur at the top with brownish hair.
Weight	12 kg	20 kg
Gestation period	Some take 48 days and some may take 180 days.	Take 128 days.

Frequently asked questions

No, they don’t belong to the same family. They look different in various aspects. Beaver is water lover while badger usually avoids water. Badger belongs to the mustelid family which is also the family of other animals like skunks, weasels, wolverines, etc. on the other hand, beavers are rodents and also belong to the same family.

Beavers are not aggressive by nature. They would not act aggressively if they are left alone. But they could easily withstand very high and dangerous threats. If they feel threatened or attacked, they will attack back. Beavers have very sharp teeth and they could cause very serious injury or infection.

Yes, beavers could attack or bite humans. The bite of beavers is fierce enough that it could also kill humans. Many cases of beavers biting have been reported mainly due to illogical acts of humans. If you will try to intrude in the territory of the badger, then they would not welcome rather they will attack you.

Conclusion

Badgers and beavers are wild animals with many features. They have many similar properties but they also vary in some aspects. We have compared them based on all the aspects like their size, nature, speed, behavior, and habitat. By reading this overview, you can clear the picture of badgers as well as beavers in your mind.