Rob Rich

But when the water spreads out, you know, they are very comfortable in water. but not as much on land. You've got to imagine a beaver has front feet that are very dexterous, about the size of a deck of cards or so. And then the hind feet are double or even more than double that size. And they're webbed, entirely webbed.

But when the water spreads out, you know, they are very comfortable in water. but not as much on land. You've got to imagine a beaver has front feet that are very dexterous, about the size of a deck of cards or so. And then the hind feet are double or even more than double that size. And they're webbed, entirely webbed.

But when the water spreads out, you know, they are very comfortable in water. but not as much on land. You've got to imagine a beaver has front feet that are very dexterous, about the size of a deck of cards or so. And then the hind feet are double or even more than double that size. And they're webbed, entirely webbed.

So it's like walking on hands on one part, but then enormous flippers on the back. And so they're very awkward and just very slow. And they do smell a lot. And so they're very attractive to a number of predators on land. And so being in water is a safe place for them. They're just ultimate graceful in the water. And so that's safe.

So it's like walking on hands on one part, but then enormous flippers on the back. And so they're very awkward and just very slow. And they do smell a lot. And so they're very attractive to a number of predators on land. And so being in water is a safe place for them. They're just ultimate graceful in the water. And so that's safe.

So it's like walking on hands on one part, but then enormous flippers on the back. And so they're very awkward and just very slow. And they do smell a lot. And so they're very attractive to a number of predators on land. And so being in water is a safe place for them. They're just ultimate graceful in the water. And so that's safe.

And as the water extends, they're both encouraging new like willow, aspen, cottonwood regeneration, and then able to access that for their own food and building uses as well.

And as the water extends, they're both encouraging new like willow, aspen, cottonwood regeneration, and then able to access that for their own food and building uses as well.

And as the water extends, they're both encouraging new like willow, aspen, cottonwood regeneration, and then able to access that for their own food and building uses as well.

Yeah, that's right. A lot of species, wherever beavers were in that range, have co-evolved with beavers and depend on their work and their disturbance factor to make the habitats where they thrive. And so willows are just a consummate example of that. They're

Yeah, that's right. A lot of species, wherever beavers were in that range, have co-evolved with beavers and depend on their work and their disturbance factor to make the habitats where they thrive. And so willows are just a consummate example of that. They're

Yeah, that's right. A lot of species, wherever beavers were in that range, have co-evolved with beavers and depend on their work and their disturbance factor to make the habitats where they thrive. And so willows are just a consummate example of that. They're

truly an amazing plant in their ability to be you know just a sprig if it's attached you know gets a little bit of a root hold in moist soil can just take off and can propagate very fast in ways that are really great and so Beavers are a little bit different than like an elk or a deer or other browser in that they're not seeking so much the buds. They don't want that just fresh shoot growth.

truly an amazing plant in their ability to be you know just a sprig if it's attached you know gets a little bit of a root hold in moist soil can just take off and can propagate very fast in ways that are really great and so Beavers are a little bit different than like an elk or a deer or other browser in that they're not seeking so much the buds. They don't want that just fresh shoot growth.

truly an amazing plant in their ability to be you know just a sprig if it's attached you know gets a little bit of a root hold in moist soil can just take off and can propagate very fast in ways that are really great and so Beavers are a little bit different than like an elk or a deer or other browser in that they're not seeking so much the buds. They don't want that just fresh shoot growth.

And so plants like willows, aspens, cottonwoods, those are kind of their... three favorites, really. Those are some of the plants that evolved in those riparian systems that really thrive as well. And so it is a very dynamic cycle. And beavers, they create diversity by being dynamic. One of the things that they do is they don't always stay in that spot.

And so plants like willows, aspens, cottonwoods, those are kind of their... three favorites, really. Those are some of the plants that evolved in those riparian systems that really thrive as well. And so it is a very dynamic cycle. And beavers, they create diversity by being dynamic. One of the things that they do is they don't always stay in that spot.

And so plants like willows, aspens, cottonwoods, those are kind of their... three favorites, really. Those are some of the plants that evolved in those riparian systems that really thrive as well. And so it is a very dynamic cycle. And beavers, they create diversity by being dynamic. One of the things that they do is they don't always stay in that spot.

As one food patch will become diminished a little bit, they'll shift to another. And so at each of those different stages, temporally in the beaver succession, that brings a whole new suite of species that will thrive in that altered state. And so it's a constantly shifting mosaic that beavers really promote.

As one food patch will become diminished a little bit, they'll shift to another. And so at each of those different stages, temporally in the beaver succession, that brings a whole new suite of species that will thrive in that altered state. And so it's a constantly shifting mosaic that beavers really promote.