Beavers coöperate and carry out a distinct plan; in doing this they
work both unitedly and singly. The whole work, however, advances as
though to a plan and as though under constant supervision. Through the
years I have seen beavers working hundreds of times. Their work is
nearly always efficient and apparently under the direction of an
expert in beaver work; but never have I seen any sign or signal given
by a beaver that I could positively say was an order or command. But I
see no way of explaining the magnitude of beaver works and the skill
shown therein except through coöperation under an acknowledged leader.
One evening as I was watching, a bobcat chased two beavers into the
pond. A few yards farther and they would have been overtaken. But the
instant they dived into the pond they were safe.
The wild enemies of beavers are lions, bears, wolves, and wildcats; in
fact, any flesh-eating animal large enough to kill one. Rarely is a
beaver captured in water; he is a swift swimmer and can long remain
under water. But on land he is slow getting into action, is not agile,
and in going has only low gear. For safety he aims to cut trees that
are closest to the water.
Another evening four, and a part of the time five, beavers were
pushing and dragging a log. When they at last pushed it into the canal
one beaver with only one forepaw put this forepaw against the end of
the log and conducted it down the canal. For safety for travel, and
for transportation beavers need deep water.
There is a social side, too, to life in these deep-water homes. Not
only do beavers indulge in all kinds of water sports among themselves,
but they seem to make friends with some of their diving, swimming
neighbours in other animal families.
I had often heard that beavers ever war upon their little brother, the
muskrat. The beavers in this colony did not. They continued to use the
old repaired house until near the close of their harvesting. On their
departure, apparently muskrats at once took possession. But the
beavers often went back into the old house.
One day I saw a beaver enter the house. There were a number of
muskrats inside. I do not know the nature of his visit but there was
no excitement. Another time a beaver turned aside and touched noses
with a muskrat. Still another time a beaver playfully dived beneath a
muskrat. As the beaver came up the muskrat grabbed beaver fur with
forepaws and sat down on the beaver’s back. Away swam the beaver with
back above the water, little brother holding on.
The harvest of aspens for winter food was nearly finished, and I had
thus far seen only the old beaver doing any tree cutting. The evening
of the 19th of October I had gone through the aspen groves measuring
and counting. One hundred and twelve aspens had been cut; these were
from two to eleven inches in diameter at the place of cutting, and
from five to nineteen inches above the ground. The aspens were from
twelve to twenty-one feet high.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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