International Beaver day: Talented animal architect

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April 7th is the International Beaver Day, a day set to remind us of the importance of beaver’s architectural talent to maintain our environment.

A beaver in a river in Russia. /VCG Photo

Beavers build dams to protect their deep, quiet home or lodge from being washed away by the flow of the river. They use tick branches to lay the foundation and smaller ones to build up the wall. The mud, leaves or stones flowing in the water soon filled up the gaps between branches, making the dam stronger.

A beaver dam in Algonquin Park, Canada. /VCG Photo

That said, these dams play a key role to restore wetland system which guarantees the biodiversity of the area it situates. On top of that, the dam provides another service of cleansing the water and moderating the water flow, so that damage caused by water pollution or flood can be minimized greatly.

A beaver and a duck in a river in Russia. /VCG Photo

The front tooth of a beaver is the most notable part of the animal, partially because the tooth never stops growing. They wear them down by chewing on wood constantly. Beavers are good swimmers and they can stay underwater for 15 minutes. They rely on the nose and ears rather than eyes, given their poor eyesight.

(Top image via VCG.)

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