Beaver 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
stakes 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 adjust 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 pod wouldn’t it be great
if we could all be as industrious and
efficient as the eager beavers