The Beaver
John J. Audubon depicted the beaver's scaly tail,
dexterous
forepaws, sharp yellow teeth, and tiny eyes that
see well underwater.
Beavers are intelligent animals. They live near streams and feed mainly on bark and twigs. Their skill in building dams is amazing. With their sharp front teeth they cut down trees, chew off the branches, and cut the trunk into short lengths. They drag the wood to the stream bank, or they may build canals to float the wood to the bank. They may build the dam straight across the stream or in a curve, depending upon the currents of the water. They plug up the cracks or holes with stones and twigs, and plaster the dam with mud.
Why do beavers build dams? Since beavers are not good fighters and cannot protect themselves on land, they hide in streams. Where the water is shallow, they build dams to make the stream deeper so that they can hide in summer as well as in winter, when ice freezes the surface of the stream.
Oregon had honored the beaver's place in Northwest history by selecting for it's nickname, "The Beaver State". The beaver is shown on the back of Oregon's state flag.
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