The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-11-14

I'LL ing, AS BUSY as beaver i!
Any one who has had the
good fortune to see a colony Of these
water animals at work has no diff
Guilty in understanding its mean
ing. for they are among the most
intelligent and Industrious of ami
mails and the dams and houses which
they construct are wonderful prod
ucts of animal skill.
The beaver belongs to the group
Of "gnawers" or rodents and is the
largest and heaviest of that family.
A large beaver measures about two
feet from the tip Of his nose to the
root of his tail, which adds about
foot more. The weight of such
a specimen is about 35 pounds, but
large, old specimens may weigh 70
pounds. The tail Is not the least
curious feature of the beaver, for
1t is broad and fiat, with a horny
covering resembling scales. The
front teeth are remarkably large,
and, like the front teeth of squirrels,
rabbits and other gnawing animals,
are hard in front and softer be-
hind, so that by use they become
worn to chisel edges. The beavers
hind feet are webbed for swimming
and the flattened tail serves as a
rudder, and to splash the water for
warning signal. He Is a splendid
swimmer and diver Frequently he
remains under water for fully two
minutes.
Live I'm Families
Beavers are social animals. A
family OF several members usually
lives in one house; and sometimes
large numbers Of families collect to-
gether in a community. They usual
ly work at night and build their
lodges well concealed from haunts
of man in small lakes or ponds made
by damming up a forest brook. Their
houses are oven shaped and built Of
bricks, sticks, grass, and moss,
woven together and plastered with
mud, so strong as to protect the in
habitants from beast Of prey. The
room inside may measure eight feet
in diameter. and two or three feet
in height, and the floor is carpeted
with bark, grass and wood chips.
There are two entrances, both under
water. One called the beaver en-
trance, is often winding in its course
as protection against enemies. The
other is straight and is used both
for taking in the wood for winter
food, and as a means of escape in
case of invasion by a mink or other
water enemy. Both these entrances
open into moat around the house,
too deep to freeze solidly, so that
the beavers are not likely to be
shut in.
In order that they may easily
pass back and forth under the
winter's'ice and that they may have
room to store food, the beavers build
dams to increase the water around
the lodges. These dams are often of
great size; indeed. one is reported
1880 feet long. The first step in
dam-building Is the selection of a
suitable site, a narrow place in shall
low water with firm bottom. Then
work is begun Of fellins trees. Stand.
ing on their hind legs the beavers
gnaw round and round the trunk
with their chisel-lilIe teeth until the
tree is ready to fall. Sometimes
trees IS inches in diameter are thus
cut through by these sagacious ami
mails.
Cut Up Trunk
Some say that they always plan
for the tree to fall toward the water:
others declare that they work hap
hazard. After the tree is down the
beavers set to work looping off
branches and cutting the trunk into
lengths which they can drag into
the water. The short logs. dragged
or f1oated to the desired spot. are
sunk parallel with the current. and
If the water is deep they are kept
down by means of stones, sod and
mud loaded on by the beavers. Mud
and stones and heavier timbers are
carried I'm their forepaws and small.
err timber between their teeth. There
Is no superintendent in their work
but each beaver does what seems to
him best. The result is that the dam
Is usually a tangled heap. but It
serves its purpose. In old dams, will
low and poplar logs have sprouted
and have sometimes given rise to
considerable trees.
The beaver feeds mainly on the
bark of trees (willow, poplar. birch,