Tomorrow, February 2, is World Wetlands Day, and as I walk the trails in the middle of the suburbs in Folsom, California, I am reminded of the importance of ponds and marshes to our local wildlife. A muskrat is a frequent visitor to a pond adjacent to the footbridge I cross every day, and a pair of beavers occupies another pond near a suite of offices with a man-made waterfall.
I’m curious about beavers, and thanks to an IMAX documentary, I’ve learned a few things about them. Here is a sampling:
They are 3-4 feet long and weigh 40-60 pounds.
They eat the bark and leaves of trees such as cottonwoods, oaks, willows, aspens and alders.
They can remain under water for up to fifteen minutes.
They’re nocturnal.
Bears, coyotes and bobcats prey on them.
They do a fair amount of wrestling – a sort of rigorous face-to-face embrace – and they talk to one another, making amusing little noises similar to baby grunts.
Two beavers can topple over 400 aspens in one year’s time, which makes me worry for them, here in the suburbs. All the more reason to protect our environment from overzealous development, and to financially support our state and national parks.
No comments:
Post a Comment