Beavers Build More Than Just Dams
Perhaps the most famous tool-makers in the animal kingdom, beavers are well-known for their ability to build massive dams that slow water and make it easier for animals to swim and catch food in the water. But dams aren’t the only thing these unique rodents know how to build. Beavers also construct complex lodges with multiple underwater tunnel entrances. The lodges are like little islands, safe from land predators but close to the water plants that make up the beaver diet. Like beaver dams, the lodges are built from sticks cut with the beaver’s powerful front teeth, sticks, rocks, and mud and are well-insulated against cold and water. Lodge floors are typically covered in grass or wood chips to keep them dry. The nest even has air holes in its dome roofs to provide ventilation.