GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Behold nature’s carpenters in action.
Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) shared a video of a beaver going to town on an aspen tree as it prepares for winter survival.
“Nature’s busiest builders don’t hibernate, so winter prep is serious business,” GTNP posted to social media Monday morning.
According to the park, beavers use their strong chewing muscles and four chisel-shaped incisors to gather building materials including logs, sticks, rocks and mud for their lodges and dams. They store branches in the mud of “underwater pantries” at the bottom of a pond, so when ice forms on the pond’s surface, the beavers can use submerged passageways to access their stash and bring food back to the lodge. They primarily eat bark and cambium, which GTNP defines as the soft layer just below the bark. Willow and aspen trees are preferred.
GTNP notes that beaver dams raise pond levels, which in turn keeps their lodges secure. Beavers will reinforce the exterior of a lodge each fall using sticks and mud, which harden like cement when they freeze in winter. This serves as insulation for the lodge above the waterline, protecting beaver clans from predators and cold.
“Winter may be tough, but beavers are tougher,” GTNP added.
Marianne is the Editor of Buckrail. She handles breaking news and reports on a little bit of everything. She’s interested in the diversity of our community, arts/entertainment and crazy weather.