Beaver

The beaver (genus Castor) is a large, primarily nocturnal, semiaquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) (native to North America) and Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) (Eurasia).[1]Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material. (Source: Wikipaedia)

The Eurasian beaver once played an important part in our landscape (uk) from prehistoric times until it was hunted to extinction in the 16th century for its fur, meat and scent glands (used in perfume!) The loss of this charismatic species also led to loss of the mosaic of lakes, meres, mires, tarns and boggy places that it so brilliantly built. The Young are called kits.

 

Adrian Lloyd Jones, of the Welsh Beaver Project had this to say:

“A landscape with wild beavers re-established is wonderful to experience. Small, insignificant streams are transformed into cascading mosaics of dams, pools and wetlands, all providing new homes for all sorts of native wildlife, from dragonflies, fish and frogs to water voles, otters and water birds. Beavers would bring our streams, rivers and wetland habitats back to life, managing them perfectly for wildlife and people.”

There is a small population breeding successfully on the river Otter in Devon.

 

 

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