The Animals in the Mississagi Valley

Beaver

Photo courtesy of Little White River Studios

The beaver has in modern times become a popular Canadian emblem, featured on the five cent coin. A few hundred years ago, however, the only thing the beaver symbolized to anyone was profit. Valued for its luxurious fur, this large rodent was very important to fur traders in the 17th century. The pelts were sold to rich Europeans by business enterprises such as the Hudson's Bay Company.
Beavers are said to have a strong need to control their environment, hence their tendency to dam streams and slow, shallow rivers. In the ponds they create, these industrious little animals build "lodges" in which they live, with underwater entrances to protect them from predators. The lodges, as well as the dams, are built using trees and shrubs taken from nearby shores. Beavers use their long, sharp teeth to gnaw through small trees and branches, which they then drag to their ponds to be added to their constructions.
Beavers' tails, besides being distinctive as thick and scaly, are useful assets. They help them to swim faster and better, serve as props on which the lean on when cutting trees, and serve as a warning device when danger approaches. When a beaver feels threatened he will hit his tail against the surface of the water, making a loud "crack" sound, which warns other animals of a potential threat.
Although the beaver may seem innocent and innocuous, he can actually be quite problematic and destructive. Land and sometimes property is lost when a beaver creates a pond, and much time is spent in taking apart the dams. Also, since they feed on bark, beavers have been known to cut down large trees in order to feed off of the bark at the top, leaving the rest of the tree to rot. Presently, these animals are trapped for their fur, and also to control the population and limit their destruction. They can usually be found near ponds, swamps, streams and rivers.