Beaver is for me the embodiment of cunningness and resourcefulness. It’s an incredible animal, which can swim and while diving they can stay under water up to 15 minutes. The average person, although bigger than beaver, wouldn’t be able to stay under water for so long. Of course, some people are able to stay long under water. For example Spaniard, Aleix Segura set a record on held breath with the use of oxygen. He was under water on one breath for 24 minutes and 3 seconds! But that’s an exception.
Except for running and swimming, the beaver can also sculpt trees. It is quite monothematic, because it forms only the forms of pyramids. Additionally they are the consequence of the natural need of a beaver to get wood and branches. With his razor-sharp front teeth, it can get through even thick trunks, making trees fall down. Reduction water area due to the regulation of rivers deprived beavers of the space for themselves and their families. In Europe they are strictly protected. And even though some people don’t like beavers cutting trees, these animals are generally popular. The story about their way to survive was created, while I was watching one of the National Geographic programs. I was fascinated how they are organized and how they can use the principles of physics to build their houses – beaver lodges. This is quite unusual that mammals can build dam to obtain the right level of water.
In his book “Beaver”, Andrzej Czech writes something like this: “Only some species in this world, including beaver and human, are able to adapt the environment to their own needs. In the conditions of progressing transformation of the natural environment, there are often conflicts between them. However, while human activity is very rarely beneficial for nature, the beaver activity can restore favourable water relations, maintain and increase biodiversity, reduce erosion, increase the speed of self-purification of water.”
I’ve found on the Internet information about their communication: „Beavers are social animals with highly developed communication skill. Their signals are often special poses or touch signals. Grappling of family members has its social meaning and it is characteristic for many situations in beaver’s life – including amorous advances. Beavers easily communicate during sanitary treatments. While cleaning they are helping each other and often switches roles.”
So in the end we could say they are quite intelligent.