Evidence of beavers in the area. Is it going to build a home, or just passing through?
Photo: Robert Morss
Leave it to Beavers to Keep Us Guessing About Their Habits
By Kevin McKeon, Maine Master Naturalist
A question from Robert regarding beaver gnawing on trees gives us an opportunity to talk a bit about beaver behavior. He noticed that there were no apparent beaver dams or lodges in the area and wondered if the beaver-felled tree he noticed was evidence of habitation, or maybe a beaver just passing through during its transient, habitat-seeking life stage.
Beavers gnaw down trees for both food and dam building. After the tree is felled, limbs are removed and hauled back close to their lodges and anchored to the pond bottom, building up an underwater food reservoir for the winter. The remaining tree is a summertime food source, revisited to feed on the sweet inner bark. As the tree slowly decomposes, it supports four times the wildlife that it did while standing. Everything from tiny insects and fungi to squirrels, coyote, and bears will live and/or eat on, from, and around this tree for years — sometimes decades.
A previous Out in the Woods column talked about beaver being a Keystone Species whose incredible activities add great assets to our environment. Humans are the only creatures on Earth that engineer their habitat more than beavers. Beaver dams are built mostly as a defense against their predators, which mostly don’t like to swim. So, their dams are engineered to maintain 2 ½- to 3-inch minimum water depth, relatively safe from predators. Their lodge entries are underwater, allowing beavers to remain either in their lodges or swimming to their underwater food cache.
After mating, a beaver pair rear their one to four kits for two or three years; then they’re off to find their own homes. During this transient time, they’ll travel five to six miles or so. It’s during this pilgrimage — often on the ground and difficult to effectively hide from the eyes and noses of hungry predators — that they’re at their most vulnerable. And being territorial, other beavers will fiercely defend their territories, so finding suitable habitats is challenging and dangerous. But a large wetland is sometimes shared with other beavers, preventing dangerous combative challenges. Other times, an effective challenge against older, less fit beavers wins the day — at least for one of them.
Beavers have captured the awe and respect of many indigenous cultures, and myths have elevated these wetland engineers to revered status. November’s full moon is one such event, known as the Beaver Moon, highlighting beavers’ winter preparation activities. Tree and branch collecting increases for lodge upkeep, dam maintenance, and for storing their underwater food cache. This continues until ice-over; then, beavers spend time in their lodges, sometimes sharing their warm shelters with muskrat, voles, and even mink.
Captivated by beavers’ human-like preparatory foresight, myths have arisen; one, from the indigenous Haida people of coastal British Columbia and southern Alaska, tells of the beaver’s birth on Earth: A couple living in the wilderness experienced long periods of separation when the man went away hunting. To ease her loneliness, the woman built a dam, creating a swimming area to keep herself amused. The man’s hunting trips became increasingly long, so she found herself swimming so much that she didn’t want to leave the refreshing water. Over time, her apron grew into a tail and fur emerged upon her body, and she became the first beaver. She was with child at this time, so her offspring were also beaver.
Another tale from the Ojibwe/Chippewa of the Great Lakes explains the source of beavers’ unique tail. The Tribe’s myth begins with a beaver who had a big, bushy tail. He went about the other forest critters bragging about his great tail, but the other critters were little impressed. Feeling disrespected, he went about gnawing down the forest trees where the critters lived. He was so angry that he didn’t notice a tree falling on his glorious tail. Finally freeing his tail, he was horrified to see it flattened!
Weeping uncontrollably, The Creator spoke to Beaver: “Why do you sob?” “No one will like me because my tail is flat,” cried the beaver. “My dear Beaver,” the Creator replied, “you are liked for your wisdom, kindness, and ingenuity. Your tail now helps you navigate the waters; you can now lean against it as you stand on the ground and warn others of danger with slapping against the water.” This delighted the beaver, and he went to the other forest dwellers, who were shocked by his flat tail. “But it’s better this way,” said the beaver, “and I can do better things for everybody.” So now, the forest critters liked the beaver and his new flat tail!
All this to say is that Robert’s interest and wonderment has been shared by many cultures throughout time and highlights the many pleasant effects we experience by being out on Sanford’s trails, bathing in nature’s beauty. Does a beaver think that Robert’s observed area is a good area to live? If so, why? Is it thinking of building a dam or lodge? Maybe if the water’s already deep enough, will it simply dig out a lodge in a nearby riverbank and forgo the work of dam building and maintenance? But is such a perfect beaver habitat already the domain of a bigger, stronger beaver, so a challenge to its territory might be too dangerous? What do you, gentle reader, think? Sometimes we sense something that may seem a bit out of place: The odd scent or sound, wing flaps in the brush, insects above the snow blanket. All can add both bewilderment and wonder to our trail walks. Stay curious, Robert!
This year’s Beaver Moon falls on Wednesday, Nov. 5. It’s also at perigee, the closest full moon of the year. Such full moons are called supermoons. So, look to the early morning and evening sky on the 4th and 5th; at these times, it’s 14% larger and 30% brighter, glowing especially large at the horizon when near hills, trees, and buildings. And think of our busy, nighttime-active beavers, preparing for their wintertime life in their sturdy, warm lodges, and their well-stocked underwater larders.
Previous beaver articles: https://sanfordspringvalenews.com/out-in-the-woods/
Keystone Species: https://sanfordspringvalenews.com/out-in-the-woods-2/
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