Welcome back to the episode from sanders wildlife.
Today I want to teach you a little bit more about beavers!
Beavers are a Semi Aquatic Rodent that are primarily nocturnal.
Also referred to as ecological engineers, The Beaver is known for its exceptional dam
building skills which creates essential habitats for thousand of species.
Beavers are often looked at as a nuisance but are actually very
important to our ecosystems. Here is my top 7 Amazing Facts about Beavers!
This of course is a baby beaver, these little animals right here are
north America's largest rodent outside of the largest rodent in the world being the capybara.
Beavers are often looked at as a nuisance, but are actually very important to our ecosystems.
Here's my top 7 amazing facts about beavers!
Number one. There are two extant species of Beaver in the world.
Though there are around 1,500(fifteenth Hundred)
rodent species in the world, there are only two species of beavers.
The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and the North American beaver (Castor canadensis).
With small differences in nasal and head size, both species are very similar in appearance.
Number Two. Beavers can hold their breath up to 15 minutes underwater.
They also have transparent eyelids that serve as their goggles,
helping them navigate the water effortlessly. Beavers have adapted so well as semi-aquatic
mammals, that their eyes and nose valves shut to keep water out when they swim.
Number three. Beavers are herbivores and eat tree bark, grasses, aquatic plants, and sedges.
Unlike other rodent species, beavers are vegetarians.
Although a beaver is know to chew up a large tree for building,
they are known to eat a trees bark and leaves, as well as aquatic plants, and vegetation.
Number four. Beavers mate for life.
A beaver is true to one partner their entire life. although beavers are very social animals,
when a beavers mate passes they will remain alone the rest of their lives. Now that's true love!
Number five. Beaver Kits will stay with their parents for 2 - 3 years before leaving on their
own. These guys right here will actually stay with the rehabber for up to two years
in the wild they do the same they'll actually stay up from two to three years
with their parents before going off on their own and making their own territory.
Baby beavers or kits, learn how to survive from their parents.
They will also learn how to swim forge for food and even how to build dams and lodges together!
Number six. Giant beavers once existed during the ice age!
During the Pleistocene period roamed a 200 - 280 lb beaver! This giant beaver was as big as a bear
standing six to eight feet tall on its back feet. In 1937, their fossils were first discovered in
peat bog ohio. The giant beaver had a narrow tail shaggy hair and six inch long incisors.
Number seven. Beavers positively impact our ecosystems.
In some studies it's actually found that beavers actually will help different populations of fish
and can help to naturally filter and improve water quality.
As beavers build their dams wetlands are also created. These sponge up flood waters
alleviate droughts lessen erosion and act as earth's kidneys that purify water. Wetlands
also help prevent forest fires and are used during droughts as a water source by humans.
Though beavers are responsible for millions of dollars of damage a year
they are far more important to the world than we realize.
Learning to live with beavers is important and can be achieved by installing clemson pond
levelers or water diverters wherever there's a problematic dam found.
Please consider finding a humane solution if coming across this problem yourself.
As always thanks for watching another episode from sanders wildlife.
More videos coming soon, for now check out our past videos on our channel!