Biber

Biber is the German common name for the beaver, a large, semiaquatic rodent in the family Castoridae. The two living beaver species are Castor fiber, the Eurasian beaver, and Castor canadensis, the North American beaver. Beavers are adapted to aquatic life with strong incisors, webbed hind feet, and a broad, scaly tail used for steering and signaling. Adults are typically 60-90 cm long, with tails adding 25-40 cm, and weigh several tens of kilograms depending on species and season.

Beavers inhabit rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands across the Northern Hemisphere, where they build dams and lodges from branches, mud, and stones. Their dam-building creates wetlands that provide habitat for many other species and influence local hydrology and sedimentation. They are largely nocturnal or crepuscular and live in family groups consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring. Reproduction occurs after a gestation of about 107 to 128 days; litters typically contain 2–4 kits. Diet consists mainly of bark, cambium, leaves, and aquatic plants; beavers store food for winter and do not hibernate.

Conservation and human interactions: Beavers were heavily hunted for fur in the past; many populations have recovered due to protection and relocation programs, though they can cause flooding and tree damage that requires control measures. In other languages, the word biber has different meanings; for example, in Turkish, biber means pepper.