 Busy as a Beaver |
June 2, 2008Arcticulates ®Focusing on Alaska's BeautyAuthor: K. FieldsBusy As A BeaverIt has been said that Beavers are second only to humans in their capacity to manipulate the environment. They are the world's most efficient loggers. These little 3 foot long, 50 pound chewing machines usually live to about 12 years, and it is possible for the older beavers to tip the scales at 100 pounds. Beavers are built for underwater work, for instance the ears on the Beaver have these natural built in valves that close when they submerge, the same with their noses. The large front teeth, that Beavers are famous for, enable them to cut and chew wood underwater without getting water in their mouths, because they are able to close their loose lips tightly behind the teeth, and these long front teeth never stop growing, so they have to gnaw to keep hem honed down. The large flat tails which are about 10 inches long and approximately 6 inches wide and serve as rudders, that help the beaver to maneuver large logs in the water to their dams and lodges. They also use their tails to slap against the water to warn other Beavers of impending danger. Beaver on Icy River Bank
The feet on a beaver are webbed, and Beavers have two layers of fur, the outer guard hairs, and the soft underfur. Their thick fur serves to insulate and waterproof them, even in environments such as here in the interior of Alaska where winters are long and very cold. This state has lots and lots of lakes, rivers and streams which are perfect for Beaver families. When swimming or boating in some areas, people need to be aware of these very busy Beavers. Beaver Swimming in Lake
The Beavers ordinarily will not harm anyone, in fact will head the other direction if need be, but recently we have heard that the Beaver has turned on the dogs… I guess they are tired of all their hard work being destroyed by dogs that are allowed to run and swim in the areas where they are building, I have seen dogs tear into a Beaver lodge/den and rip it up, with their digging, and teeth, trying to get at the Beavers inside. This time the Beavers are biting the dogs, and causing enough damage to result in a visit to the vet and surgeries. The funny thing is this area has been set aside for dog owners to be able to allow their dogs to run loose and swim. A dog park.. But the Beavers that live there have something else to say about that.. The beaver’s have literally "staked their territory" long before the dogs showed up, and are quite willing to fight for it. According to a biology professor's thinking is that it must be a female protecting her young, because this is the time of the year for new Beaver babies (kits) to be born. Beavers have to have at least 2-3 feet of water year round in order to survive. This water is where they can float trees and branches to build their underwater caches where they store the food they will need for the winter. Beaver Dam in Large Creek
If the water level is not sufficient, they will build dams to direct the water flow where they need it, by chewing down trees, stripping them of bark, breaking them down into manageable pieces and dragging them to the area they are building and they intricately weave everything together to make a water tight dam. Popular Lake for Beavers
These dens and dams are used year after year by the same Beaver family, and can become quite large. Baby Beaver (kits) are born around April and June. Weighing in at about 1 pound. Their eyes are open at birth, and they can swim immediately, they stay with the parents until they are 2 years old. Predators of Beavers in Alaska are Wolves, Lynx, Bears, Dogs and Humans. Beaver fur pelts are highly prized for cold weather coats and hats. In fact the Beaver population were severely depleted in the early 1900’s in Alaska because of over hunting. The Beaver population is now back to normal, and the hunting regulations here in Alaska, helps prevent them from being over-hunted again. The State sometimes hires trappers to come into certain areas to glean out Beavers because of they have over-populated areas, which cause environmental problems. To read more about Beavers: Alaskan Adventures Later... K Fields See Also: Polar Bear Conundrum
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