~ Oh Dam ~ Oh Rats ~ YES... April 7 is International Beaver Day ~
BY DANNY McCARTHY
"Beavers are the largest rodents in North America and one of the few species that significantly modify their environment. By building watertight dams, which reduce stream erosion and form slow-moving ponds, they provide aquatic habitat for dozens of other species."
April 7 is International Beaver Day -{&}- is celebrated annually to highlight the importance of beavers for ecosystems. Beavers aren’t classified as threatened species - BUT - they nearly went extinct once ~ so it is important to raise awareness of the threats beavers face.
Here are some facts:
This is because, whereas other rodents have magnesium in their
Beaver teeth are colored orange. Beavers have long incisors that get their orange color from an iron-rich protective coating of enamel. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their life, but daily use helps trim them down. Beavers have iron. So beavers have orange teeth for the same reason we have red blood. The iron causes the orange colouring in beavers’ teeth, makes the teeth stronger against mechanical stress, and makes them more resistant to acid. A beaver’s teeth wear down unevenly. This gives the incisors a chiseled shape, which helps beavers cut through hard objects like wood.
Beavers build watertight dams made of woven sticks, reeds, branches and saplings caulked together with mud and rocks. The dams form slow-moving ponds that reduce stream erosion and provide brand new habitat for small fish and other aquatic wildlife. Rocks make up a large part of dams.
These dome-like lodges are often constructed away from the shore, forming islands that can only be entered from the water. A lodge can have multiple underwater entrances, with living quarters located in the top above the water line.
The walls are typically insulated, and a small air hole in the roof provides ventilation. The floor of a beaver’s lodge is often covered in wood shavings to absorb moisture and provide a comfortable place to sleep.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Beavers communicate using scents, vocalizations and posturing, but one of their most important signals is the tail slap. Typically performed by an adult, this loud alarm signal alerts others to seek refuge in deep water and may even frighten a potential predator away.
Beavers sometimes snack on tree bark or the softer layers of wood underneath. These herbivores also eat leaves, woody stems and aquatic plants. Some of their favorite foods – poplar, aspen, willow, birch and maple – are also (conveniently) their primary building materials. Beavers sometimes snack on tree bark or the softer layers of wood underneath. These herbivores also eat leaves, woody stems and aquatic plants. Some of their favorite foods – poplar, aspen, willow, birch and maple – are also (conveniently) their primary building materials.
Beavers also store branches on the muddy pond floor beneath their lodges to eat during the winter when they spend most of their time inside. The cool water acts like a fridge, keeping the stems fresh and preserving their nutrients. Beavers are very dexterous -{&}- tend to hold their food between their front paws to eat.
There are two living species of beaver: the North American beaver and the Eurasian beaver. North American beavers typically weigh between 35 and 65 pounds and are 3-4 feet long (standing 1-1.5 feet tall). The Eurasian beaver is slightly smaller than its North American cousin. The North American beaver would be the largest rodent in the world if not for the capybara, a South American mammal that claims the heavyweight title.
Light levels in a beaver’s lodge and underwater remain consistently low throughout a 24-hour day. Without cues from the sun, a beaver’s circadian rhythm, or regular day cycle, changes. Its “days” become longer, often varying in length from 26-29 hours. Beavers are primarily nocturnal and tend to be most active at night.
Large lungs allow beavers to stay submerged for an extended period of time. Beavers can stay under water for ABout six-to-eight minutes. Though their movement may be awkward on land, webbed hind feet and rudder-like tails help them move swiftly through the water, where they can swim up to six-miles-per-hour.
{help from SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL ZOO & CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE -{&}- 8 Facts to Celebrate International Beaver Day / Smithsonian's National Zoo online}
Perhaps the "Leave It To Beaver" TV-series fits-write-here:
"It is during the course of the last episode the viewer learns how the Beaver got his nickname. In a 2006 interview, Jerry Mathers stated that series creator Joe Connelly had a shipmate in the U.S. Merchant Marine named Beaver and simply
liked the name. It was not until the finale that the writers invented an explanation for the nickname; i.e., as a young child, Wally mispronounced Beaver's given name (Theodore) as 'Tweeter' and this became 'Beaver.' Mathers opined that after 6 years and 234 episodes, the writers could have come up with a better origin story." {from wikipedia} ~ PERHAPS THIS IS HELPFUL as it is a link highlighting the TV-series "Leave It To Beaver":