An ordinary, or river, beaver can well be called a representative of the amphibian class, as it resides both in water and on land. Beaver belongs to the order of rodents. With their huge flat and relatively wide teeth, these animals gnaw through alder, willow or aspen trunks, which they need to build dams.
After the tree falls on the ground, the beaver family, again with the help of the powerful incisors, frees it from branches, cuts it into convenient fragments and carries it to the place of the future dam. When the construction is over, the structure is reinforced so that it wouldn’t get washed away.
The animal is distinguished by its strong constitution. Its hind legs are much more powerful than its front legs. Beaver uses its hind legs not only for their intended purpose: they also serve as comb. For this purpose, one of the fingers ends with a bifurcated claw, which is convenient to comb through thick fleece, and to remove dirt and tangles from it.
The rodent has a truly luxurious fur. Thick, dense, with well-knit undercoat, it remains almost dry under water and continues to warm its owner. Beaver fur can be all shades of brown, from light chocolate to almost black.
Beaver is a fairly large animal; the weight of an adult reaches 32 kilograms, and length, almost one and a half meters together with the tail. Due to their amphibian mode of existence, these animals have formed membranes between the fingers that help them to swim well. They use their wide flat tail as steering oar. Besides, the tail is helpful in several other ways.
Beaver uses its tail to give the relatives a danger signal: when the enemy approaches, the beaver deafeningly slaps its “oar” on water to warn the family and the comrades. On land, this part of the body serves as an additional support, which always comes in handy, say, when dragging heavy pieces of wood. By the way, these heavyweight rodents move with difficulty on the ground, so they cannot do without the supporting tail.
Beavers are perfect divers; they swim great and are able to remain under water for up to a quarter of an hour, covering a distance of three quarters of a kilometer during this time. While the animal conducts underwater construction work or floats away from enemies, its mouth, ear holes and nostrils are tightly closed to prevent water penetrating into them, which is an ideal adaptation to the habitat.
These animals feed exclusively on plant foods. For breakfast, lunch and dinner they have juicy stems and roots of coastal vegetation, the delicate inner layers of the tree bark, even acorns. Preparing for winter, beavers store branches of trees and shrubs, to eat them later when it gets cold outside.
Beavers are active in the evening and by night. The work on a beaver dam is in full swing all night, with chips all over the place. The family usually consists of 5-8 individuals: adult male, female and their offspring, so that there will be a lot of chips in the morning. By the way, beavers are territorial animals. They mark the boundaries of their possessions with a special secret, castoreum, whose smell is unique, like human fingerprints.
After the tree falls on the ground, the beaver family, again with the help of the powerful incisors, frees it from branches, cuts it into convenient fragments and carries it to the place of the future dam. When the construction is over, the structure is reinforced so that it wouldn’t get washed away.
The animal is distinguished by its strong constitution. Its hind legs are much more powerful than its front legs. Beaver uses its hind legs not only for their intended purpose: they also serve as comb. For this purpose, one of the fingers ends with a bifurcated claw, which is convenient to comb through thick fleece, and to remove dirt and tangles from it.
The rodent has a truly luxurious fur. Thick, dense, with well-knit undercoat, it remains almost dry under water and continues to warm its owner. Beaver fur can be all shades of brown, from light chocolate to almost black.
Beaver is a fairly large animal; the weight of an adult reaches 32 kilograms, and length, almost one and a half meters together with the tail. Due to their amphibian mode of existence, these animals have formed membranes between the fingers that help them to swim well. They use their wide flat tail as steering oar. Besides, the tail is helpful in several other ways.
Beaver uses its tail to give the relatives a danger signal: when the enemy approaches, the beaver deafeningly slaps its “oar” on water to warn the family and the comrades. On land, this part of the body serves as an additional support, which always comes in handy, say, when dragging heavy pieces of wood. By the way, these heavyweight rodents move with difficulty on the ground, so they cannot do without the supporting tail.
Beavers are perfect divers; they swim great and are able to remain under water for up to a quarter of an hour, covering a distance of three quarters of a kilometer during this time. While the animal conducts underwater construction work or floats away from enemies, its mouth, ear holes and nostrils are tightly closed to prevent water penetrating into them, which is an ideal adaptation to the habitat.
These animals feed exclusively on plant foods. For breakfast, lunch and dinner they have juicy stems and roots of coastal vegetation, the delicate inner layers of the tree bark, even acorns. Preparing for winter, beavers store branches of trees and shrubs, to eat them later when it gets cold outside.
Beavers are active in the evening and by night. The work on a beaver dam is in full swing all night, with chips all over the place. The family usually consists of 5-8 individuals: adult male, female and their offspring, so that there will be a lot of chips in the morning. By the way, beavers are territorial animals. They mark the boundaries of their possessions with a special secret, castoreum, whose smell is unique, like human fingerprints.
