The Canadian beaver is a semi-aquatic mammal belonging to the order of rodents. They are the second largest rodents. In addition, the Canadian beaver is an unofficial symbol of Canada.
Species of beavers
At present, there are two types of them: Canadian beaver, river beaver (European). They are very similar to each other, except that the former is a little larger. Once they spread throughout Europe, North America and Asia, but today the population has declined significantly. This is to blame for the man who hunted these animals because of their fur and meat.
Differences between Canadian and Ordinary Beavers
Both representatives of the species are very similar in appearance, although the Eurasian one is large. He has a larger and less round head, with a shorter muzzle. Also, the tail is narrower and the undercoat is smaller. In addition, the Eurasian has shorter limbs, therefore, he does not move well on his hind legs.
Almost 70% of ordinary beavers have brown or light brown fur, 20% have chestnut, 8% have a dark brown color, and only 4% have black fur. Half of Canadian beavers have a light brown skin tone, 25% have a brown skin and 5% have a black hue.
An ordinary beaver has nasal bones much longer, and the nostrils have a triangular shape, while the Canadian have triangular openings. The European has larger anal glands. In addition, there are differences in the color of the fur.
After repeated attempts to cross the American male and the Eurasian female, the females either did not become pregnant at all or gave birth to dead cubs. Most likely, interspecific reproduction is impossible. Between these populations there is not only a territorial barrier, but also a difference in DNA.
In addition to external differences, these two representatives of this family have differences in the number of chromosomes. So, Canadian beavers have forty chromosomes, ordinary 48 have them. A different number of chromosomes is the reason for the unsuccessful crossing of these representatives of different continents.
Another difference between beavers can be considered a disaster: the Canadian beaver does not build dams, it creates huge dams compared to the buildings of his brother from Europe. Such structures in length can stretch for several hundred meters. Since today the Canadian beaver in Russia is actively populating the regions, their structures are fundamentally changing the environment. As a result, dams in the surrounding area cause flooding, and what is interesting: the less the terrain they inhabit is crossed, the greater their area of influence! They change the fullness of rivers with all the environmental problems arising from this. In addition, Canadian vandals “mow” the nearby forests, namely, they form coastlines and in general are the most important environmental factor. In addition, beavers from the nearest state farms and farms are stealing crops, and they are also ramping up there in every possible way.
Spread
The Canadian beaver is found in Alaska (in North America), except for the northern, northeastern and eastern coasts; In Canada; in the United States almost everywhere, in addition to Florida, the main part of Nevada and California; in northern Mexico. It was also introduced to the countries of Scandinavia. From Finland entered the Leningrad region and Karelia. It was introduced on Sakhalin and Kamchatka, as well as in the Amur basin.
Lifestyle
His lifestyle is similar to that of a Eurasian. Canadian beaver is also active at night, only occasionally appears in the daytime and sometimes moves far from the water. Animals dive and swim wonderfully and can remain under water for up to fifteen minutes. Beavers live in families of up to eight individuals - a parental pair and its children. Young individuals with parents remain up to two years. Families are always territorial and protect their plots from other animals.
The boundaries of the plot are marked with a beaver stream (a secret of the anal glands), which is applied to the mounds of silt and mud. When in danger, animals beat their tail in the water, thus giving an alarm. Like the Eurasians, they live in huts, which are built from brushwood, smeared with earth and silt. From the huts there are passages under the water; the floor is covered with bark, wood shavings and grass. The Canadian beaver in holes burrows much less often than its Eurasian counterpart. To regulate the flow velocity and water level, he builds on the rivers of the dam from branches, logs, silt, stones, clay. Canadians have great building abilities.
Breeding
Usually, beavers live in families consisting of a female and a male, as well as young animals of the previous and current year. The breeding season in most places is January-February. The offspring of the previous year, at that time at the age of about two years, are expelled from the colony to seek refuge in another place, as well as their couple.
The gestation period is 107 days, and the male with the children temporarily moves to a special hole until the birth of the offspring from April to June. The act of birth takes place for several days, mainly up to 5 beavers are born. The kids are completely pubescent, their incisors are noticeable, their eyes are open. Only after being born, beavers already quite calmly enter the water, since they can swim from the moment they appear. The main number of adults is monogamous, a couple can only break up with the death of a partner.
Food
The Canadian, or North American, beaver eats exclusively plant foods. These animals feed on shoots and bark of trees, choose willow, aspen, birch and poplar. In addition, they eat all kinds of herbaceous plants (egg capsule, water lily, cattail, iris, reed, etc., up to three hundred names in total). A huge number of softwood trees is a necessary condition for their habitat. Linden, hazel, bird cherry, elm and other trees in their diet are of secondary importance. They do not eat oak and alder, while they use it for their buildings. The daily amount of food is up to a fifth of the weight of the animal. A powerful bite and large teeth enable beavers to easily cope with plant-based solid foods.
In the summer, the proportion of grassy feed in the beaver diet increases. In this fall, they are engaged in the preparation of food for frost. They put their stocks in water, until February they are able to maintain their valuable nutritional qualities. To prevent food from freezing in ice, beavers melt it under overhanging steep banks below the water level. So even after the freezing of the reservoir, food remains available under thick ice.
Number
The Canadian beaver, unlike the Eurasian who was almost completely exterminated, suffered much less. It does not apply to protected species; its number reaches 15 million individuals, but before the colonization of North America, there were ten times more of them. These animals were intensively hunted for meat and fur, and this by the beginning of the nineteenth century led to a rapid reduction in their range. Then, thanks to restoration and security measures, their total number increased significantly.
Man and beaver
At present, the Canadian beaver in some states is considered as an extremely harmful animal, since the dams built by these animals lead to flooding of the area. At the same time, their construction activity is able to completely destroy vegetation along the coast. Although in general, beavers have a good effect on coastal and aquatic biotopes, while creating conditions for the prosperity of various organisms.
Beaver is a national animal of Canada. It is depicted on a coin with a face value of 5 cents. In addition, it is a symbol of the states of New York and Oregon, and is also depicted on the emblems of the California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fur coat: Canadian beaver
Such a fur coat in Russia has long been valued. It is exceptionally fluffy, soft and very warm fur. Having a unique undercoat, it successfully approaches the Russian climate conditions and is able to protect it from any weather. Such a fur coat surpasses even a mink in terms of sock qualities (this is considered one of the main criteria in the hierarchy of valuable furs). In addition, the beaver is not afraid of moisture, and this is a rarity among furs. Also, it becomes only fluffier under wet snow.
This fur is not the easiest to work with. Exclusive and, therefore, the most expensive is considered plucked fur. The plucking technology is a time-consuming jewelry process, which greatly increases the cost of a fur coat, while making it especially airy and light. Only whole skins of young animals are used in the work. For each product, the color scheme is selected individually. Sometimes it can take a whole year. Although the result is a real picture of a harmonious color scheme, shimmering in natural shades from light to dark.
