Synopses & Reviews
With unique fish-like tails, chainsaw teeth, a pungent musk, and astonishing building skills, beavers are unlike any other creature in the world. Not surprisingly, the extraordinary beaver has played a fascinating role in human history and has inspired a rich cultural tradition for millennia.and#160;and#160;In
Beaver, Rachel Poliquin explores four exceptional beaver features: beaver musk, beaver fur, beaver architecture, and beaver ecology, tracing the long evolutionary history of the two living species and revealing them to be survivors capable of withstanding ice ages, major droughts, and all predators, except one: humans.and#160;
Widely hunted for their fur, beavers were a driving force behind the colonization of North America and remain, today, Canadaand#8217;s national symbol. Poliquin examines depictions of beavers in Aesopand#8217;s Fables, American mythology, contemporary art, and environmental politics, and she explores the fact and fictions of beaver chain gangs, beaver-flavored ice cream, and South Americaand#8217;s ever-growing beaver population. And yes, she even examines the history of the sexual euphemism. Poliquin delights in the strange tales and improbable history of the beaver. Written in an accessible style for a broad readership, this beautifully illustrated book will appeal to anyone who enjoys long-forgotten animal lore and extraordinary animal biology. and#160; and#160;and#160;
Synopsis
Despite their relatively low profile, the history of the beaver is a very important one. Beavers were widely hunted for their skin, and were largely the reason for the early colonization of North America, as well as explorersand#8217; westward expansion toward the Pacific coast. While the bison is the first animal that comes to mind when thinking of large groups of animals who were nearly hunted to extinction, the beaver was even more widely pursued, first being hunted in Eurasia and then later in North America. Early North American cultures passed down mythological tales involving beavers, and the beaver is one of the national symbols of Canada. The history of the continent and the beaver are very much intertwined, as it seems that one does not exist without the other.
Poliquinand#8217;s Beaver uncovers the nature of an animal not usually discussed at length, showing their true worth in the world today.and#160; It is sure to engage those who already admire this humble yet important animal, as well as interest those who wish to learn more of its rich natural and cultural history.
Synopsis
The Beaver: Its Life and Impact is designed to satisfy the curiosity and answer the questions of anyone with an interest in these animals, from students who enjoy watching beaver ponds at nature centers to homeowners and land managers. Color and black-and-white photographs document every aspect of beaver behavior and biology, the variety of their constructions, and the habitats that depend on their presence.
A second edition of The Beaver: Ecology and Behavior of a Wetland Engineer, published by Cornell University Press under its Comstock Publishing Associates imprint in 2003, this book has been revised throughout and includes a new section on population genetics and features updated data about the beaver's range in North America, reintroduction efforts in Europe, and information about the world's largest beaver dam, discovered in northern Alberta in 2010 and visible from space, as well as the most current bibliography on the subject.
As this book shows, the beaver is a keystone species--their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water, and prevent large-scale flooding. Biologists have long studied their daily and seasonal routines, family structures, and dispersal patterns. As human development encroaches into formerly wild areas, property owners and government authorities need new, nonlethal strategies for dealing with so-called nuisance beavers. At the same time, the complex behavior of beavers intrigues visitors at parks and other wildlife viewing sites because it is relatively easy to observe.
Synopsis
Beavers can and do dramatically change the landscape. The beaver is a keystone species--their skills as foresters and engineers create and maintain ponds and wetlands that increase biodiversity, purify water, and prevent large-scale flooding. Biologists have long studied their daily and seasonal routines, family structures, and dispersal patterns. As human development encroaches into formerly wild areas, property owners and government authorities need new, nonlethal strategies for dealing with so-called nuisance beavers. At the same time, the complex behavior of beavers intrigues visitors at parks and other wildlife viewing sites because it is relatively easy to observe.
In an up-to-date, exhaustively illustrated, and comprehensive book on beaver biology and management, Dietland M ller-Schwarze gathers a wealth of scientific knowledge about both the North American and Eurasian beaver species. The Beaver is designed to satisfy the curiosity and answer the questions of anyone with an interest in these animals, from students who enjoy watching beaver ponds at nature centers to homeowners who hope to protect their landscaping. Photographs taken by the authors document every aspect of beaver behavior and biology, the variety of their constructions, and the habitats that depend on their presence.
Beaver facts:
-Just as individual beavers shape their immediate surroundings, so did the distribution of beavers across North America influence the paths of English and French explorers and traders. As a result of the fur trade, beavers were wiped out across large areas of the United States. Reintroduction efforts led to the widespread establishment of these resilient animals, and now they are found throughout North America, Europe, and parts of the southern hemisphere.
-Beaver meadows provided early settlers with level, fertile pastures and hayfields.
-Based on the fossil record, the smallest extinct beaver species were the size of a muskrat, and the largest may have reached the size of a black bear (five to six times as large as today's North American beavers). Beaver-gnawed wood has been found alongside the skeleton of a mastodon.
-Some beavers remain in the home lodge for an extra year to assist their parents in raising younger siblings. They feed, groom, and guard the newborn kits.
-In 1600, beaver ponds covered eleven percent of the upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers' watershed above Thebes, Illinois. Restoring only 3 percent of the original wetlands might suffice to prevent catastrophic floods such as those in the early 1990s.
--Bernd Heinrich, author of
Winter World (reviewing the first edition) "Journal of Mammalogy"
About the Author
Rachel Poliquin is a writer and curator engaged with the cultural history of the natural world, and she has curated taxidermy exhibits for the Museum of Vancouver and the Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the University of British Columbia. She is author of
The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and the Cultures of Longing. She lives in Vancouver.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Beaver
2. Musk
3. Fur
4. Architect
5. Ecologist
and#160;
Timeline
Glossary
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgments
Photo Acknowledgments
Index