Filtered Cigars And Inhaling

'he or is not he? - Ethology beaver

I'm back fresh and motivated this time to speak in detail of the animal most fascinating - and I believe even the most intelligent and arrogant - I've ever seen in my life: the beaver.
But first, how do I talk about my "belief" without spending more on some other word in my "Messiah"? In May, I have already spoken of this man, I have already shown this man, but even with the fear that was not really a man, or at least not just a man, but rather an entity, a spirit of the forest, or that strange and mysterious place that is hostel "La Maison Majorique" of Tadoussac. Sleeping, laughing, warm around the fire, prepare breakfast and outdoor travelers and know all the people Satellite odd that the hostel in Tadoussac is truly an experience out of time, and sometimes some of the characters you meet seem timeless. One in particular seems to be born and there is always there, just as the galleon off near this hostel, or cast iron pans in the kitchen, or the piano downstairs. His name a few of you who follow us from the beginning, already know: it's Coco (Chanel, citaz. From Nick).
looks like so much to a spirit and not a real man, who seems to possess the power to rejuvenate and grow old, as well as changing all of its main characteristics at will. Its metamorphosis has proven to be so excessive by constricting the Kafkaesque question "is he or is not he?"
Judge for yourself:

May 18, 2008 - Coco shows us a tree felled by beaver Lake Tadoussac.

August 16, 2008 - Coco shows us the same tree!
not put a poll asking if the same person, because I know it's him. And then, there is irrefutable evidence of the same pants, same shoes, and said exactly the same phrases in the same places. Well, perhaps not exactly a man, an actor is placed there for the tourists!
However, having said that, as the decrepit old Coco lit months ago in me the fierce desire to learn more about these absurd rodents, and since, three months later, the new young Coco has finally been able to observe not only to do with it secretly for more than a full half-hour family work, but also to enlighten me in a whole range of their habits and customs, at this point I will make a brief summary of everything I knew about them.
All the experts I met beaver (2) prefer to speak of "families" rather than "colonies", as all the beavers who live in a group, are somehow related to each other, always. In general, the family structure consists of a pair of parents, one or more generations of sons and daughters, adults / and or less, and other adults (brothers and cousins \u200b\u200b/ and in-laws / e. ..). An adult beaver can reach 30-35 kg and a life of 20-25 years. Their diet is totally vegetarian, ranging from some types of wood in certain plants and shrubs that grow close to rivers, lakes and ponds. The wood has a variety of functions for their food, but also material to build the house and dams. One would ask why do the dams. At least, I was asked me. The fact is that the beaver has partially webbed limbs, and a robust tail which it uses as rudder when swimming. The ideal habitat for beaver, which moves better and faster, the water is low, such as ponds that it is anxious to continue to create "artificially". Out of the water is just a clumsy rodent a little 'slow and obese, which can be a prey for bears, lynx, wolves, coyotes, etc.., While in the water becomes almost elusive. So this means that families spend their lives, among other things, building dams made of pieces of trees (sometimes very impressive in size) that an adult comes to reducing the number of 200 a year, and consolidated then with earth and mud. Branches with usually a bit 'smaller but builds and strengthens the home.

typical house of a family of four specimens of beaver (2 parents + 2 pups). The shape is "bell", the only inputs underwater tunnels kind ever made with tree trunks. In the roof there is generally a sort of air intake that the beaver wider or narrower intervals to adjust the level of retained heat from the house inside (geni!!). In winter, when the pond is completely frozen, never leave the house, except when they want to draw on reserves of food, which generally consists of fallen trees or shrubs stored under water in front of the entrances to the house.

Typical dam to create a pond slowing down a river. In this case the family that lives here is "stretched", with two parents, and two generations of children, 3 of which are now adults.
Then, sometimes, it happens that the / beavers suffer a bit 'of megalomania or delusions of leadership, or simply devastating instinct towards the forest that surrounds them. A little 'as the man, but to a greatly reduced. Here's the result:

In this case only one pair of beavers more than a pond, 15 years ago has caused a veritable flood of hectares of dense forest. Slowly then, they ate all the trees and the plants they eat and use, while leaving others to die drowned trees (as you can see), and finally, to be exact just four months ago, when there ' was nothing more which feed around this "artificial lake" after 15 years moved a few hundred yards away, getting a new pond and building the house that you can see in the picture of the beaver in the previous post. So they arrive, flood, eating and devastated, and after that you move to another place to do the same thing. And so on. Fantastic!
Typically one parent each day reinforces the home and the other thinks the dam, while the kittens eat and play. Animals are almost exclusively nocturnal, they wake up around 18:00 and go to sleep at dawn. If the beavers are preyed upon and then left abandoned houses or ponds, often another young beaver takes possession of the old residence. The pairs of beavers are like pairs of Catholics last a lifetime.
At this point a mini-gallery of photos of these cute "devastating" animals is a must: