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Beaver are more than intriguing animals with flat tails and lustrous fur.
American Indians called the beaver the “sacred center” of the land because they create rich habitats for other mammals, fish, turtles, frogs, birds and ducks. Since beaver prefer to dam streams in shallow valleys, much of the flooded area becomes wetlands.
Such wetlands are cradles of life with biodiversity that can rival tropical rain forests. Almost half of endangered and threatened species in North America rely upon wetlands.
Besides being a keystone species, beaver reliably and economically maintain wetlands that can sponge up floodwaters, prevent erosion, raise the water table and act i.. as the “earth’s kidneys” to purify water. . Beavers and humans are alike in their ability* to greatly alter their habitats to suit their own needs. But that is just one reason why we find the flat-tailed species fascinating.
To obtain food and building materials, beavers are well known for their ability to topple large trees using nothing but their specially adapted incisor teeth and powerful lower jaw muscles.
Beaver teeth never stop growing, so they do not become worn much despite years of chewing hardwoods. Their four front teeth are selfsharpening due to hard orange enamel on the front and a softer dentin on the back of the tooth. Therefore as beavers chew wood the softer back of the teeth wear faster, creating chisel-like cutting surfaces.
The beaver’s most distinctive feature is their large flat tail, which serves as a rudder when swimming, a prop when sitting or standing upright, and a storehouse of fat for the winter. Beavers will also slap their tail on the surface of the water
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