Beavers Are Genius | National Geographic

we’re here in the wilderness of the
Rocky Mountains observing nature’s
impressive architects and engineers
beavers
by creating this pie they’re preventing
soil from being washed away and they’re
creating a place where new plants and
insects can flourish Lieber’s think
ahead and secure their food supply long
before they’ll need it
they drag these branches into the water
where they’ll stay fresh and accessible
during the winter freeze flash forward
to the winter freeze when the frigid
temperature has turned the mud and
sticks into a secure shelter for the
Beavers each dwelling houses a single
beaver family yep with a mom and dad and
did I mention beavers mate for life and
each home has an elegantly designed
passageway to the lake beavers are North
America’s largest rodent and they’re the
only ones with skin flaps behind their
teeth that allow them to haul branches
without swallowing water notice how
neatly the beaver eats stripping the
bark by turning the branch like an ear
of corn they’re strict but voracious
vegetarians and can even de Geste the
cellulose that most mammals just can’t
handle
flash-forward again to the following
spring and spring has sprung a leak in
the dam so dad stays with the young ones
while mom and her eldest son fix it up
this is lucky for all the other animals
around because virtually the entire
ecosystem is dependent on the dam and
the resulting pond wouldn’t it be great
if we could all be as industrious and
efficient as the eager beavers
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