I'm trying a little different format today. Here is information I pulled together on beavers. These vegetarians can be found in our area along the rivers. They were reintroduced in the 1930s to the state.
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| American Beaver, image from public domain |
Beaver
Castor
Canadensis
Called
the “sacred center” of land by Native Americans as it creates rich watery
habitat for other animals
“Engineers
of wilderness”
Modified
river bank burrow in our area--I see these along the river by Shanklin Park, Oxbow Park, and others have mentioned seeing them behind Briar Patch Shelter. I've also heard there is a lodge at Lieber Nature Preserve in Bristol.
Help
maintain wetlands
Cut
trees, helps promote bushier regrowth the following year
Almost
extirpated from North America in early 1900s, rare in Indiana by 1840
Reintroduced
in 1935
Pelts
were valuable for trade (worth $100 in 1920, only $10 today)
Trapping
rights fueled the French and Indian Wars
Largest
rodent in North America
Broad,
flattened tail
30-70
pounds, about 4 feet long
Incisors
grow throughout life
Front
feet used for digging and grooming, Large hind feet webbed with one nail split
for grooming purposes
Oil
glands (called castors), combs oil into its fur to waterproof it and used for
territorial marking
Tail
used as a rudder, smacks water to signal danger
Can
stay underwater up to 6 minutes, can travel up to ½ mile under water
Strict
vegetarians
Transparent
eyelids
Generally
monogamous
Beavers in Spring
Kits
(young) born in spring—April, May, or June
1
to 4 kits per litter, birthing process takes several days
Fully
furred when born, eyes are open, incisor teeth are visible
Take
to water easily, might swim before 1 day old
Stay
with parents for 2 years, becoming babysitters in the second year
After
weaning, enjoy water lily tubers, apples, and leaves and green bark from
fast-growing trees
Kit
predators include hawks, owls, and otters
Beaver
eat leafy parts and roots of aquatic plants, such as cattail, duck potato, water
lilly, spadder dock, grass, sedge blackberry canes during spring
Castor
Mounds: Mark territories in spring by dragging up mud and debris and mounding
on shores, depositing oil from castor gland, leaves a reddish stain on bank,
humans can detect
Here are sources of the information I pulled together on beavers in spring: