This makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it!
Have you ever heard the expression, “As busy as a beaver”? Beavers are definitely busy creatures, and if you look carefully around a pond, you might be lucky enough to see some of their work. Today we took a walk through Fort Frederick State Park and we came upon a trail called, Beaver Pond Trail, which wove around a little pond.
Follow the sign...
We saw lots of evidence that beavers were in the area: gnawed trees with shavings on the ground, trees stripped of bark, and of course a beaver lodge. We were able to get quite close to the lodge, as it was very close to the bank, and were able to see little footprints in the mud.
Beavers are semi-aquatic mammals that live in structures called lodges. If a pond is readily available, they will create a lodge along the bank by using twigs, branches, and mud. They use their wide flat tails to slap and smooth mud between the sticks.
Beaver Dam
These “construction workers” are also known to build dams if a suitable habitat is unavailable to them. They use their large teeth and powerful jaws to bring down large trees and branches, which when placed perfectly will block off small streams creating a new little pond. After the pond is created, they set about making a lodge for their colony. The lodge can only be entered through an underwater entrance, which keeps their offspring safe from predators. These large rodents are herbivores that like to eat things like twigs, roots, bark, and aquatic plants.
Tags: Polly 3
November 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Dear Anonymous~
I have seen a beaver in the wild one time but it wasn’t on the day we took these pictures. It was swimming in a creek about 20 feet away from where we were fishing and it acted as if we weren’t even there!
On our walk the other day, we met some people that told us the best chance you have to see a beaver in the wild is at dusk or very early in the morning. Even though I would have loved to see a beaver again, it was still amazing to see the gnawed tree and their construction work!
Thanks for writing,
Polly
November 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Wally, have you seen The Beaver?
November 15th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Did you ever get to see an actual beaver? Or did you just see evidence that they were there? But, I would love to see a dam, or even one of those trees that are half eaten by a beaver! Great pictures that you took, very detailed!
December 12th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I talk lots of walks in the woods and I have never seen a tree that was chewed on by a beaver. Nice pictures! This is a really good website, keep up the good work Polly.
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I would love to take a walk there and see a beaver lodge and a gnawed tree. It sounds like you had a great day, and you’re lucky to have had the opportunity to see nature’s work!