Beaver Behavior and Ecology

The video explores the role of beavers as nature's architects in the Rocky Mountains. It highlights their ability to create ponds that prevent soil erosion and support new plant and insect life. Beavers prepare for winter by storing food underwater and building secure shelters. They live in family units and have unique adaptations like skin flaps behind their teeth. Beavers are strict vegetarians capable of digesting cellulose. The video also shows how beavers maintain their dams in spring, which is crucial for the surrounding ecosystem.

What is one of the primary benefits of the ponds created by beavers?

• They increase the water temperature.

• They prevent soil erosion.

• They attract predators.

• They reduce water levels.

How do beavers ensure their food supply during winter?

• By migrating to warmer areas.

• By dragging branches into the water.

• By eating insects.

• By storing food in underground burrows.

What unique feature do beavers have that helps them carry branches?

• Skin flaps behind their teeth.

• Sharp claws.

• A long tail.

• Webbed feet.

What is a notable characteristic of beaver family life?

• They change partners every year.

• They mate for life.

• They live alone.

• They live in large colonies.

How do beavers consume their food?

• By swallowing it whole.

• By stripping bark like an ear of corn.

• By grinding it with their molars.

• By soaking it in water first.

What can beavers digest that most mammals cannot?

• Fats.

• Proteins.

• Sugars.

• Cellulose.

What happens when a beaver dam springs a leak in spring?

• The dam is left to erode naturally.

• The entire ecosystem collapses.

• The beavers repair it.

• The beavers abandon the dam.

Who typically repairs the dam when it leaks?

• The mother and her eldest son.

• The father and the youngest child.

• The father alone.

• The entire beaver family.

Why is the beaver dam important to the ecosystem?

• It supports the entire ecosystem.

• It is a source of food for predators.

• It provides a habitat for fish only.

• It is used for human recreation.