SEX-DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR OF BEAVERS LIVING IN NEAR-BOREAL LAKE HABITAT

Comparative studies of how female and male North American beavers (Cas tor canadensis) allocate time provide a basis for understanding their life history. I studied the behavior of beavers living in lake habitat s of a near-boreal region to determine how animals of each sex allocat ed time during their active periods. Markov time-budget estimates reve aled that over the open-water season, adult females and males spent 98 and 86%, respectively, of time during active periods feeding, traveli ng, and being in the lodge. Adult females spent most of their time fee ding in late spring and summer. In late summer through fall, they spen t more time provisioning, working on lodges, and constructing winter f ood caches. In contrast, adult males spent less time feeding and more time traveling, being in the lodge, and working on the lodge in late s pring and early summer. As the season progressed, adult males traveled less and spent more time feeding and working on the lodge. Overall, t he results suggest that there is a division of labor in this monogamou s species. Adult females seemed to function primarily as providers of energy to kits. In contrast, adult males seemed to function primarily in protection and provisioning of kits, territory maintenance, and con struction and maintenance of structures.