
Actions learned by imitation like this become a part of the kits' behavior for life, which is usually a span of about 12 years. The kits learn to groom by imitating their parents. This heavy coat insulates a beaver from the cold and icy water. They use their nimble front paws to comb oil from a body gland into every part of their thick fur. After a swim, beavers maintain the water-repellant quality of their fur by carefully grooming themselves. But when they gain enough weight, they too will swim and dive as freely as their parents. Small kits bob like cork and have difficulty diving. They grip their mother's fur with their teeth for extra help. He can hold his breath for up to 15 minutes. Webbed hind feet swiftly propel the beaver through water, and he steers with his broad scaly tail. Thick fur keeps him warm in icy mountain water, and a very thin second eyelid-much like a pair of goggles-lets him see underwater. The beaver is wonderfully adapted to his aquatic environment. But when necessary, they work into the day, continuing to carry building material from the nearby banks of the beaver pond. Beavers are mostly nocturnal animals, preferring to work through the night and early morning. The sound of rushing water first signals a beaver to the break in the dam, and he will keep working until the damage is under control.

Clumps of grass, mud, and even rocks are used to plug the gap or build new dams when branches are scarce. He uses his teeth and front paws to wedge them carefully into the break. This beaver carries a bundle of branches to a break in the dam. For the beaver it is time to repair dams that have been damaged by the spring runoff. Rivers flow swiftly in spring, and melting snow has raised the water level. Usually, only one beaver family inhabits a lodge and its surrounding pond. The beaver uses these same materials to build a strong dam across a stream to form the pond. The calm deep pond surrounds the lodge, which is made of branches and mud. Beavers are aquatic animals, superbly adapted to living in water. He gives nature a helping hand by breaking the ice that has formed overnight. Outside the lodge warm spring sunshine gradually thaws the ice-covered pond, where the male beaver is ready to swim. Born only a few weeks ago, these four kits will quickly grow strong as they nurse on their mother's rich milk. Inside this snow-covered beaver lodge, a mother beaver and her young, or kits, are quite warm. NARRATOR: It is late winter in the Rocky Mountains.
#ARE BEAVERS NOCTURNAL HOW TO#
COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.

From tech to household and wellness products.
