While there are a number of native wild creatures which appreciate a river or lakeside residence, one in particular has it as their only choice. Beavers, the relatively big semiaquatic native rodents with spatula-like tails, will always set up house keeping on a freshwater body.
Only two beaver species still exist. The North American beaver or Castor canadensis, as it is formally known, is the sole example in this part of the world. The other is the Eurasian beaver which resides from southern France into Russia’s part of north central Asia.
The only rodent larger than the beaver is a South American native, the capybara. It tips the scales at just under 200 pounds while beavers have the potential to reach about 70 pounds.
Initially appearing as nothing more than a pile of logs, beaver lodges are sturdy homes for the family which offer safety and convenient features.
The beaver’s coat can have up to 148,000 hairs per square inch. The dense fur protects the animal from predators along with keeping it warm in cold water.
Color variations range from a medium tan to a very dark brown. Most commonly beavers are a reddish brown, but their under-fur is dark gray
During the 18th and 19th centuries, beavers were hunted to near extinction. Their smooth pelts were prized for a variety of fashion accessories including men’s top hats.
Luckily for the remaining beavers, fashions changed and strictly enforced hunting regulations allowed their population to rebound to an acceptable level. Much like another freshwater resident in panhandle Florida, both alligators and beavers have numbers which create a sustainable population based on limited hunting.
Spending much of their life in water, beavers are equipped to be excellent swimmers. Their front paws are dexterous but not employed for swimming. Their hind paws have webbed toes and powerful legs which combine with their streamlined body to propel them efficiently.
On land the effects of gravity make the beaver’s aquatic body a bit clumsy and locomotion slow. Still the mammal is capable of quick bursts of speed when surprised and its strength is exhibited when moving branches and logs.
Most commonly known as nature’s construction engineers, beavers are well equipped with teeth which continually grow and exceptionally powerful jaws. They are famous, or infamous with some land managers, for dams which block flowing water and create new ponds for the beavers and other creatures to utilize.
In panhandle Florida sweetgum trees seem to be a favorite for building their lodges and dams. The beavers consume the bark and use the log for construction.
Fortunately, at least for the beavers, sweetgum trees are quite common in north Florida. A vigorous root system permits regeneration after the trunk is cut or chewed off the stump.
The resulting beaver ponds grow aquatic weeds, another meal source for this large rodent. Over time a population of fish results and cohabitates peacefully with the beavers.
As vegetarians, the beavers have no interest in catching the fish, but other waterfront residents may. Aquatic birds will list the beaver ponds as favored hunting sites, and may establish rookeries in close proximity.
Waterfront residences have advantages for a variety of species.
Leave a Reply