Canada Beaver
The Canada Beaver or the North American Beaver is common to Canada, much of the USA, and northern parts of Mexico. Beavers are semi-aquatic animals measuring up to 80 cm in body length. These animals are well adapted to the aquatic lifestyle and have developed many adaptations. Their coat is made of the long and coarse outer hair and a fine and wooly undercoat. The coat of the Beaver is waterproofed by an oily secret of a special gland known as castoreum. A thick layer of fat helps maintain the body temperature in cold water.
The tail of a Beaver is large and flat. It serves both to signal danger and to store body fat. The hind feet of these animals are webbed that helps in maneuvers when swimming and diving. The Canada Beaver is able to stay underwater for 10-15 minutes. Beavers are able to see underwater, because their eyes are covered with a transparent membrane. The ears and nostrils are sealed tightly when underwater. On land, Beavers are slow-moving and vulnerable. They prefer to stay in the water within their ponds and come out only at night.
The Canada Beaver is a rodent. It feeds on shoots, bark and twigs of trees and parts of water plants. The forepaws of the Beavers are small, quick and with sharp claws, which help in gathering food and materials for building the dams. Beavers make their burrows in lakes, rivers, and streams. To hide their homes and provide themselves with a safe feeding ground, they build dams, which create artificial ponds. The entrance to the burrow is located underwater, so the Beaver family is not afraid of land predators.
Beavers need much timber for building and repairing their lodges and dams. They usually use birch, aspen, poplar, and willow. Beavers cut down trees that grow nearby by their incisor teeth. With their front paws, beavers are able to carry stones and mud used for building. Beaver dams have both positive and negative impact on the environment. Large dams may cause flooding and destruction of agricultural lands. On the other hand, by constructing dams, the Canada Beaver provides habitat for many aquatic animals, birds and insects.
