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Call for questions: BEAVERS (Patreon)

Published:
2022-08-31 05:26:44
Imported:
2026-06

Content

So, I missed my Montana flight this morning BUT I'm heading up there tomorrow and there's a chance I may have two interviews! One: beavers. Leave your Castorology questions below!

And send good vibes that LA traffic doesn't bone me yet again. 

Hearts, 

Ward

Comments

Juliette

Alie, when will the beavers episode be uppppp?

Abby Grieb

When are we getting this episode I want to learn about beavers!!! 😩

Bronwyn Cole

Do the big flat tails serve a purpose?

Jakin Yang

Why can’t we eat beavers? Also, is it true that beavers help create lakes and ponds and prevent droughts by deepening natural reservoirs of water? What’s the deal with ancient giant beavers? Did ancient giant beavers make giant dams and giant lakes?

Gemma

Beavers! Why are they so "dam" cute?

Amesia Doles

Are they eating wood, or just building with wood or both? Good luck with traffic -Meesh

Rachel Kline

Is it true we get artificial vanilla from their anal glands? How in the heck did someone figure that out?

Meghan McLean

What do they smell like? What do their dens smell like?

Scalebar

American beaver, Eurasian beaver, what's the difference, are the parts interchangeable?

Meghan Woods

How fast do beaver teeth grow? Can they lose a tooth?

Ethan Bottone

Tell us about operation beaver drop!

Gemma

Are beavers as soft as they look?

Julie Paez

Is it true that the sound of running water causes a beaver to instinctively begin building a dam?

Brent Maphis

Why the F do beavers hate the sound of running water so much? Do they know they're changing the ecosystem because of that hatred?

Scott Sheldon

Ok…how do states that already have a tiff about wolves being reintroduced get support for reintroducing beavers when beavers do more tree damage to rural communities than range-animal damage?

Deacon Raid

What’s the deal with them sharing the lodge with muskrats? What is that relationship like?

Laurel

Good lorb please ask about this

Alison L

I’ve heard that humans use beaver anal gland excretions for flavoring, what’s the deal? How do they extract it? Do humans collect beavers for harvesting anal glands?

Deacon Raid

Yes! Tell us about them as furbearers and the beaver hat fashions of yore

Emily Krieger

don't google image search beaver tails delicacy...i'm torn whether i want to know more about how they're a sweet treat w/ what appears to be banana and nutella?! also: can you talk about the beavers ppl parachuted into Idaho? thanks!

Ali Vessels

I think I've read/heard that beavers are considered a keystone species because of the immense role they play on their habitats. Can you go into more detail on that?

Earl of Greymalkin

2) Why are Beaver tails so weird? What do they do with them?

Bronte

Who are their relatives in the animal world?

Deacon Raid

We know they are ecosystem engineers in North America but I’ve heard they are wildly destructive in South America as an invasive species. How are things going there?

Alex Hernandez

How much horse power can these little puppies do on land and in water

Ali Vessels

Is it true that if they don't gnaw wood regularly their teeth will grow too long? Or is that flimflam? Also, thoughts on the show Angry Beavers?

Earl of Greymalkin

3) is what their teeth are made of substantially different from other animals? How do they not get splinters in their gums?

Andrea Levinson

For the love of god please discuss the Idaho beaver reintroduction efforts in the 1950s!! Also would love to learn more about their role in shaping whole ecosystems-how did the fur trade impact how our landscapes look like today?

Earl of Greymalkin

4) Do different beavers have different architectural styles or design preferences? How do little beavers learn dam building?

Henry Sheppard

In the UK there is a lot of resistance to the reintroduction of beavers due to concerns about their impact on native fish. Is there any evidence about how migratory salmon and non-migratory trout populations are affected? Thanks!!

Luke LaFemina

How much space do they need. We have beavers locally and I’m just curious how they will achieve biodiversity within a small area.

michaela a. gabriel

What's the largest beaver dam ever found? Like, Guinness book of records beaver construction?

Rozelyn Hesby

I've heard that beavers will confront humans who venture into their territory - is this true & if so, who's gonna win this rumble?

Elisha Ramey

In the Chronicles of Narnia, do you prefer Mrs or Mr Beaver??? I’m partial to both-so endearing as imaginary Brits. Or do you have another favorite personified characterization?

Andrea Devlin

I recently read that many beaver dams are actually causing more harm than good in some areas. What harm are they causing and is there a plan for addressing the issues?

Joe Porfido

I've heard there were giant beavers that are extinct now, are there any other cool extinct beavers?

Earl of Greymalkin

5) are beavers related to capybara? Are they as chill?

Michelle Fullner

Definitely ask about how beavers help in situations of drought and wildfire, especially on the chance you’re talking to Emily Fairfax! I got to interview her recently and she is just bananas knowledgeable. She also made an amazing stop-motion video out of felt pieces showing how beavs go up against wildfire, and it’s just the cutest (and I think only like a minute long!). First time question asker! 🦫 💚

Andrea Devlin

Beaver tails (the pastry) are VERY popular in Canada! I made some from scratch for my husband (he's from Ontario) and covered them in cinnamon sugar. They were SOO good! And my husband said they tasted like childhood 🥰

Claire Irvine

Do beaver dams create homes for other animals (fish, frogs, etc)? Have other animals been found inside beaver dens?

Claire Irvine

Do beavers have favourite types of trees? Is it based on personal peference or do they all like the same type of tree?

Snarky Mermaid

Why is it in some areas it is illegal to relocate a Beaver, but it would be ok to kill them ( I speak from experience when I tried to have a family of 5 relocated from my family property. 43 trees came down in two months.

Cate Muenker

Where is the biggest beaver dam and how long have the family of beavers lived there? How did it change the surrounding ecosystem?

Victoria Oetting

Do beavers ever invite other beavers to their home? Do adult beavers ever hang with their parents in their home or make a home nearby? How do beaver dams affect the ecosystem? Did people ever kill beavers because they were a nuisance in some way? Have civil engineers ever taken inspiration for construction projects from beaver habitats?

Ruby Chan-Frey

How are their teeth so strong? How do they get enough calcium in their diet to grow So Much Tooth?

Nautilus

We have the same questions in my household.

Cate Muenker

Are beavers related to groundhogs?

Elizabeth Jimenez

What does the inside of a beaver home look like?

Mitchy

Is the beaver's drive to build dams instinctual from birth? What's the average lifespan of a beaver?

Euan Munro

Any thoughts on the reintroduction of beavers? There is one official trial in Scotland, and one unofficial one!

Lani Bouwer

How long will they stay in one dam? Is it seasonal/related to birthing or just depending on the location/factors?

Lani Bouwer

How long does it take to build a dam?

Lani Bouwer

How long do they mate for? Do they have a mate only for a season or repeatedly?

Erik Mohácsi

What social system do beavers have? are they just families or have bigger, tribe like groupings?

Lydia Lambe

Do their teeth continuously grow? Is that part of why they chomp on wood? And why are their teeth orange?

Lydia Lambe

What can they do with their tail? What is their tail made of?

Lydia Lambe

Are all beavers dams a nuisance or do they sometimes serve a purpose?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

**How are they affected by the low water in rivers this summer? the u in Zucker is like the oo in book

Lydia Lambe

Possibly weird question, but can you eat beaver? If so, how does it taste?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

**I've heard that beavers had a huge effect on the course of waterways in North America. Has anyone modeled what our rivers would be like if there were still as many beavers as 200, 300 years ago? Zucker rhymes with hooker, no shame in that!

Mother Amber Across the 5th Dimension

How old are they when they start getting the urge to build a dam & are they taught it or they just know? Does it hurt their teeth since they are gnawing on everything? Are they aggressive or chill AF?

Lydia Lambe

What do beavers do in the winter? Do they hibernate?

Lydia Lambe

So I’ve read conflicting answers on this, but do beavers actually eat wood?

Jess_Lin

What are all the uses of their tail?

Quinn B

Do beavers attack? Like are they territorial. The image of a beaver charging at me is giving me nightmares.

Matt Thompson

Is dam building taught or is it an instinct?

Bonnie Detwiller

Hello! First time question asker here and I'm Canadian so I feel like this topic is very appropriate for my "first time". Is it true that European beavers mate for life and North American beavers tend to do the whole free love and sister wives/brother husbands kind of thing?

Matt Thompson

Do they have a preference in wood type? Oak vs Pine, for example?

Nina

Can you please ask about parachuting beavers? No one ever believes me when I tell them how in 1948 Idaho fish and wildlife successfully parachuted beavers to a more remote location. As far as I know no beavers were harmed! It’s such a wild story to me! ❤️🤞

Henry Sawczyc

[First time Question asker, also Sawczyc is pronounced "Saf-chus"] As someone living in Berlin, we've started to see beavers again due to a reintroduction - what are your thoughts in reintroduction of so-called rewilding? Particularly when they could potentially disrupt city trees and waterways. I personally love our neighbour Beaver, me and my partner called him Gunther...

Specs Owl

Is there really beaver musk in vanilla ice cream, or is that a thing of the past? How did beavers make such a big comeback in Europe, when their population was down to 2000 in the middle ages?

Specs Owl

Are beavers very intelligent? Or is their behaviour driven by instinct? Can you talk about the little critters who they share their dams with? Is there a symbiosis going on there, or do they just not mind the little rodents sharing their space?

Loren R.

I hope the vanilla topic gets discussed, because it's fascinating (and a bit sad for the beavers). I won't spoil it. 😉

Specs Owl

Is there any hope for the beaver re-introduction in Scotland? Do beavers actually help flood management, or is that just beaver propaganda?

Leila Jones

I wanted to ask a similar question to this! I heard beaver reintroduction can be amazing for the ecosystem, biodiversity habitat etc.

Katie Sharp

I live in Scotland and I've heard there's been some issues around the reintroduced colony of beavers in the River Tay with them causing property damage and being generally a pain in the dick for people living nearby. Is there any truth to this, or is it just Dundonians being grumpy Dundonians? What sort of issues might someone experience from living too close to beavers, and is this likely to slow down or halt their reintroduction to the UK and Scotland?

Katie Sharp

Beaver propaganda 😆 I now have a mental image of a beaver Rupert Murdoch and I'm equal parts amused and disturbed

Laura Kinney

Do beaver dams impact fish passage?

Andy Quintero

Do platypus tails and beaver tails have anything in common? Like, is their shape hydrodynamic? Or do they only look slightly alike?

Alexandre Catulle

Beaver parachuting... but ... why!?!?!? Beaver transport today, is it better or worst?

Stephanie Leské

**I've recently read a book on the reintroduction of beavers. 🦫 it's crazy how important they are to our ecosystems & sad how much resistance there is. 1. Why do they build their dams? 2. Are they really as soft as we're told from the horror stories or fur trade. 3. I live in Scotland & there are efforts to reintroduce- how can I help or get involved to help the beavers? 4. And lastly why are beavers referred to as a lady's genitalia? 🦫 Much love ❤️

Emma Fiori

I've heard something similar about raspberry flavoring! Wtf?!

Emma Fiori

Please please please tell me everything about raspberry flavored anal secretions? I've seen other questions on here about vanilla flavor too, but I swear I've heard it from multiple sources that artificial raspberry flavor is/was/can be made from beaver butt broth????

Emma Fiori

Also, and I'm sure you will answer this right up front, but does Castorology have any relation to the castor bean or castrate?

BatRachy

** Ohhh yes I was coming here to ask a similar question with regards potential reintroduction in 2023 to Ennerdale in Cumbria near where I grew up. I can see so many good reasons to have them around, I wondered why some people might be so against them? Especially after seeing how well beavers have helped safely retain water in drought-affected areas.

Katie Sharp

I've mostly heard this all very much through the grapevine from the East Coast side of my family, so not sure if it's actually true or not! Would be interesting to find out because I would love to have fuzzy portly beaver bois back in the UK

BatRachy

There's a lot of positivity on the Wild Ennerdale social media, but it still might not go ahead due to opposition. The area they are proposing isn't even near people! I just wanna be able to go watch them pootling around my local rivers doing cool beaver stuff 🦫

Jesse Hurlburt

I've heard that beavers hate the sound of running water and that's why they build damns? Is this film flam. How far will they travel for wood? How far will they travel once they have grown up to find a new water source.

Jesse Hurlburt

What's up with anal secretions, this needs a lot of discussion! Why? Why? Why? Who was the first person that decided that needed to happen?

Trevor Arrowood

How in the hell, evolutionarily, does a beaver tail make sense? What was the progression? How does it thump so hard???

Caylie Evans

First time question asker! Why dams? Do they just see a river and go nope?

RJ Doidge

This comes from a place of genuine curiosity and (as a card carrying 🏳️‍🌈) lack of exposure: why are lady parts sometimes called “a beaver?”

Breanne Adkins

My parents have a creek on their property that is frequently dammed by beavers. Why do they abandon a dam? Do the same beavers return to a dam site to rebuild? How do they choose a dam location? How large is a beaver's range? Do they seek specific types of trees to build with? Do both genders build? Do parents teach the babies to build? How old is a beaver when it starts to build? How long do they stay as a family unit?

Sonjabird

Of course I must ask the question that is on the top of everyone's mind: are women's genitalia really called beavers because prostitutes used to wear beaver pelt toupee's down there? How did that even work? Seems awfully awkward? Also, why are baby beavers the cutest baby animal out there? They break my heart!

Gerald Thompson

In the new movie Prey, the main character hides in beaver dam from a bear. Would a human really be able to get inside the dam that easily, and would it be a good shelter to stay in during a surgical situation?

Gerald Thompson

Also do they prefer a certain type of tree for building their dams?

Ellie

Do beavers build multiple dams or do they have one specifically they like to hang out at?

Sydonie S.

How territorial are beavers? What other animals will the attack to defend their territory?

Stephanie Trout Berman

(first time questioner, who has always wondered)-Is it true that a beaver can drown a dog by pulling it underwater?

Victoria Hantout

Beavers, docile or viscous? I was once in a river on a kayak and a beaver dove into the water and i paddled so so quickly outta dodge. How close can one get to a beaver without it attacking? If i’m in the water near it will it think i’m a snack? Help me feel safe in the water with beavers. they so ugly and cute.

fullmetalknee

What is your favorite beaver pop culture reference and why is it Angry Beavers?

Benedict Pagac

Is it true that there's a blind, wingless species of beetle that only lives deep in the fur of beavers?

Shelby Mills

How long can they hold their breathe? What is the beavers social and family life like? Do beavers have any enemies - not predator, just another forest creature that they loathe?

SeraBee

"Chip, the Dam Builder" by Jim Kjelgaard - have you read it???

Popita

What does a beaver’s dam look like on the inside? Are there multiple chambers for different purposes?

Morgan

Will beavers share their lodges with other animals like muskrats?

Dave DeBaeremaeker

First time asker:. Are beavers the best animal, because they always give a dam?

Manette Eaton

Do beavers fight over territory? When I was a kid, we lived down the road from a beaver dam and once when siblings and I walked down the driveway to catch the school bus, there was a beaver in the driveway. It was clearly angry and our parents wondered if it'd maybe wandered off after getting in a fight or something.

Average_pi

The tail The death Need I say More

Dr Laura M Smith

What are the biggest threats to beavers now that the fur trade is done? Climate change? Habitat destruction? How can we keep these cuties safe?

Mauri Pelto

Beavers like glaciers create a natural reservoirs that produces water during low flow drought periods, like now in the northeast. The only small streams with flow also have beavers. How much is this valued in various localities?

Tara McNee

1. Beaver anal gland secretions are the secret to vanilla flavoring…. True or flim flam? (Pls say flim flam 🥺) 2. Beavers being parachuted into idaho from a plane for reintroduction… logistics, success rate, how did this hair-brained scheme come to pass?!

Meghan Matthews-Adair

Were giant beavers really a thing? Were they as big as the ones in the 1980’s The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe classic?? Is there a type of wood they prefer? Is there a type of wood they avoid? Why are the babies so cuuuuute?

Elektra

****First time question asker**** Are there any tips for spotting them in the wild? I've seen a lot of evidence of them, spotted a dam or 2, but only seem one on a driveway (maybe going door to door to spread the good word on dams). I'd love to see them in action (safe distance, of course)!

ALopez

What is/was the largest beaver dam? Are there beavers outside of North America? Does a beaver dam always completely block a water way?

Anika's Cat Arya

What do beavers do if there's no need for a dam? Do they still work on them just to keep themselves busy?

Laura Springer

Do beavers make different kinds of dams in different places?

Isaac Slaven

I would like a beaver, or pair, to help with vegetation control around my tiny creek. Is it possible to order live beavers?

Hannah Matousek

Whenever my family members see a beaver, they always clap to make it slap it’s tail. Is this a myth? Is it cruel? I feel like I need to know

Lindsey James

How smart are beavers? Are they like raccoons where they mess with something until they figure it out? Are they strategic?

Laura Jordens-Harris

Why are their tails so mahoosive? Is it helpful for building dams? Scaring off predators? Showing off their prowess?

Jessica C

I would also like to know. I’ve just done a cross Canada road trip and did not manage to see one despite seeing many dams and lodges

Alex Parrish

Do human dams effect beavers ability to thrive? How can we better protect beavers?

Shannon Patterson

They're the coolest things. Looking forward to the puns

Chase Penix

What do Beavers eat? They just chew wood to cut it to length, right?

MissKitti

I’ve heard beavers need to chew wood to keep their teeth a manageable size. Is this true and what if there isn’t enough wood or trees? Does this happen? I’ve been worried about it.

Julia Vollmer

I’m curious about they’re population distribution in the United States. I’ve always heard about beavers but I’ve never seen one.

Nikki DeMarco

when wolves were reintroduced in the north west, beavers returned to the area too. what change made them return?

Patrick Javarone

How much of what they chop down do they actually eat?

Patrick Javarone

Also, are our North American beavers 100% American or do they have some European beaver genes mixed in?

svnseeker_

(First time question-asker): Are beavers linked to nutrias? The latter are everywhere in my area of the PNW and look like the weird cousin of our dam-building friends.

Elisabeth Westner

I also wonder this. If they have a perfectly functioning dam, what do they do all day?

Elisabeth Westner

I've seen a number of abandoned beaver ponds on hikes in the northeastern US. Why do beavers abandon their ponds?

Skylar

** how do beaver dams affect their surrounding environments? First time question asker! 🦫

Jenna Congdon

I've always been under the impression that beavers smell very musky and maybe sort of stinky? Is that true? And if so, why/what causes that or what purpose does it serve?

Zacharie Jackson

First time question asker. There is a family of beavers near my home in Maryland. I have two questions. 1. Are they eating the wood? 2. How strong are they?? I always see the trees they have cut down but I never see them actually in action. When are they active??

Skylar

**If I wanted to pet a beaver (no euphemism intended), how bad do those big teefs hurt if they bite?

Courtney Jones

How many kinds of beavers are there? Did they evolve together or did beavers pop up in different parts of the world separate from each other?

Laura Salisbury

What's up with the whole beaver butt situation? I heard their nether glands taste good. Why oh why?

CJ Lucke

How do beavers procreate?

Danae DeJournett

Yeah, Beaver glands and vanilla. Who the hell thought one day, “You know what smells and probably tastes good? Beaver cheek mucus!” This isn’t still a thing, right? We don’t have beaver factories where people have to handle the gland end of these guys, right?

Danae DeJournett

ALSO also, how about that story of the guy who got his nipple bitten off by a beaver. Flim flam? They don’t actually only eat wood, like some North American water koala, do they? Do they even eat wood or just unfortunate nipples?

Gordee

How have beaver damns lead to waterways being reshaped? How has that effected the ecosystem around them?

Sh4rkH4ts

What did beavers ancestors tails look like? Why does the running water sound cause them to start building a dam? Heard about an experiment playing audio of running water in a field and beavers started building a dam there despite a lack of water.

Alex Brown

From my 12-year old: why do beavers build dams specifically, instead of some other structure?

James Nance

What can people do to protect beavers' environments and habitats?

Gabrielle Arkett

Yess, my city has put up orange rubberized netting around riverside trees to protect them from being gnawed by beavers. What kind of problems for waterways, ecosystems, municipalities can beavers cause?

Caitie McCaffrey

I’ve heard that beavers build Dams because they dislike and are annoyed by the sound of running water, is this true?

Isabelle Brooks

What’s the largest beaver dam on record? How many can live in a dam at once? Also — go Beavs!!

Gary Staab

Can you talk about the giant fossil ice age Beaver, Castoroides ohioensis? I made a sculpture of one for a museum, they are pretty fascinating.

Gary Staab

How did trapping beavers change the landscape of North America, historically speaking?

Hailey

Personification of beavers from children’s books have me thinking that beavers have a nice, cozy, quaint, little home INSIDE the dam complete with a chimney. Unfortunately this seems unlikely to be true, what are their nests/homes actually like?

Emily Luna

So, realistically, how much beaver butt juice (castoreum) is in our vanilla flavored food as a "natural flavoring?"

Carrie Behrens

Whoa! First timer here. And I was just NOW (seriously now!) watching a Beaver documentary and I thought to myself "I wonder if Ologies has ever done an ep on Beavers?" I paused the show to check, and was bummed to see that there wasn't. Then after it was over I checked my email and here is your call for questions about Beavers! Way to anticipate what the audience wants Alie! Anyway, in the documentary they said that beavers "potty train" their young, but did not expand on this at all. So how does this work? Where do they go? Do they have a little kiddie toilet in the lodge?

Jess Loeffler

So beavers have that lovely tail, as do platypuses. Is that convergent evolution? Why are beavers the only rodents that have that paddle like tail?

Hannah Edstrom

What do you know about the attempt Russia made to hybridize the species? Also, do you have a favorite between the two, canadensis or fiber? Favorite subspecies?

Seán Thomas Kane

Is there a range of water temperature that beavers prefer to live in?

Bryant Bainbridge

If you are headed to Montana, please ask what effect the return of wolves to Yellowstone had on the Beaver population. Good things happen when terminal predators return to the neighborhood

Maddy B

I’m so excited!! Beavers are my newest special interest!! I have so many questions… what are beaver family group dynamics like? How do they find other beavers to ~mate~ with? Will a beaver spend their entire life with one family group, or do they wander off to sow their wild oats? How many dams can a beaver build during their lifetime? Why are they so soft??

Jessica C

Do beavers prefer particular types of wood for their dams?

Maddy B

Oh, also— where are beavers native to? How have reintroductions changed landscapes, and can we just airdrop beavers everywhere to solve water shortage crises??

Gordon Haas

As a resident of the Beaver State, I want to know, "What is a beaver's favorite kind of tree?" Aspen for a friend.

FLRabbit

As a long time dual citizen and visitor to Canada, I grew up hearing a LOT about beavers...not always good, people thought that they were destructive. BUT my impression was that they are ecosystem engineers, they MAKE habitat, just not always where humans want it...who's right? (I'm rooting for the beavers)

Nathalie Jones

What do their tails feel like? Leathery?!

Nathalie Jones

Does the *scroll* Castorologist have a favorite indigenous word for beavers?

Joshua S.

do beavers actually use their tails to measure ice thickness like in the Chronicles of Narnia movie? side note: if beavers could talk, would they sound like the ones in the Narnia?

Leah Anderson

So sorry you missed your flight. If you have time to watch Ze Frank's YouTube episode about Beavers: do it. He mentions that the sound of running water kind of compels beavers to go dam up the area where the water is running, but since that just moves the water flow somewhere else, so they end up damming again, and again, until they have a massive dam. What do we know about this? How does one study the relationship between Beavers and the sound of water? Also, they eat their food, um, twice?

Emma

Came here to ask this.

Allie Brown

What do beavers eat and what eats a beaver?

Db

Are beavers territorial

Aimee Parcell

FTQA Please talk about the relocation/reintroduction of beavers in parts of Idaho! It involves parachuting them out of helicopters and is amazing

Rachel Katz

What do we know about queer beavers?

bee

Favorite fictional beaver?

Dantooine

Do beavers get wooden splinters in their gums? Does it cause infection? And what’s the deal with their tails?!

DLC

Recent new Patreon supporter and first time questioner... Thanks for your all the great party conversation topics. Do beavers have a taste preference for the trees they fell? Do they prefer certain trees for structural (or other) reasons for their dams and/or houses?

Caitlyn Schmaus

When are beavers considered a pest species versus being a keystone or helpful species when they create dams?

Michelle Paymar

Do beavers attempt to fell a tree so that it falls in precisely the desired place or is it random?

Cait Somerville

Do beavers actually take care of their young or do they just dip after they’re born?

Rosie S.

Beavers are such industrious community leaders! Can you please share about some fun Beaver Antics? What are interesting or funny Beaver Behaviors we never talk about? (First time question asker)

JENN 'Benthopelagic squirrel' ALVAREZ

I'm sure this has been asked 377 times but, beaver butt juice...Castoreum, how much is still used today? Who thought to taste a beaver's ass?

Liliana Ramirez

Do they move (as in build new dens and abandon old ones)?

Adam Foote

I've heard that beaver fur is extremely dense and soft. How dense/soft is it in comparison to, like, cotton? Alpaca? Wool?

Adam Foote

First time question! I forgot to say that!

Alex Parrish

Are they born with their beaver teeth? Do they eat wood or just build with it?

Lorri Klamm

How many adorable pups do they have at a time? Also, what do we call baby beavers, probably not pups. :)

Donald Merritt

The water in the north is cold! What allows them to avoid hypothermia when they're so cold and wet for so long?

Argiope17

Do beavers have a way to sharpen their incisors? do they ever need to? Is it true that the teeth are orange due to iron compounds in them? does the iron compound (assuming true) make the teeth stronger than human enamels?

Argiope17

How long do Beaver dams remain in an ecosystem? are they passed between generations, abandoned, or ever taken over by other beaver families if the original makers die, leave, or are driven off. Can we see where beaver dams used to be based on current watersheds to understand impacts such as human dams may have even after being removed from an ecosystem?

Argiope17

Would the now extinct Castoroides, or giant beaver, relative have made dams and would the dams be proportionally larger to match them big bois?

Kylie M Smith

Are there different species of beavers? If so, what differentiates them and where do the different kinds live?

Sarah Meaden

Oh lord, please ask this, Alie.

Sarah Meaden

Three disparate questions - can humans really fit inside beaver dams? Why do you think in media most beavers speak with a lisp? Is there a chance of injury when (if) beavers smack their tails on the water for communication?

Naomie Bégin

Is it true we use beavers gland for artificial vanilla flavor and if yes, who tf discovered that???

Katie Horn

Castoreum as a food additive. ...What? Also "How".

Charlotte Fjelkegård

I'm very invested in the "How the heck did someone figure that out?" part of the question.

Camille Eckel

What’s the historic extent of beavers? Did they live in plains? I heard once that they used to live in every river in N America is that true?

Marianne Thomas

I once saw 2 beavers fighting by slapping each other with their front paws (hands?) while sort of muttering. It was very undignified. Are all their vocalisations this ridiculous? Do they have other sounds?

Taylor Sublett

How large can a beaver dam get, and how many beavers would live there?

Abby Grieb

My first question! I know beavers can be considered destructive in areas where they are close to humans, how can we deal with beavers when we don’t want them flooding certain areas or chopping down trees while still respecting them, letting them live their lives and be a part of the ecosystem?

Matt Ceccato

Are beavers carnivores or omnivores?

Between Dumplings

Do they really have cozy tea parties in their dams? I know it’s just in the movies, but seriously how long does it take for them to grow those teeth? Are they used as weapons, too or only used on trees. Are they cute and clever or nasty and endangering our ecosystems?

Daniella Napolitano

Just how big do beavers get? Someone told me that on average they can be heavier than coyotes and that broke my brain a little bit.

Attacusatlas

I’ve heard of people trapping and drowning beavers in their dens to control populations because of either damage to trees or unwanted changes to waterways. What are more humane ways of dealing with unwanted beaver populations? Can they be relocated? Can trees just get a protective netting instead? Or can they just let the beavers be? (First-time question asker)

Lee Wang

Is Alie traveling to meet Jesse from Animal Wonders Montana and their rescued beaver, Huckleberry?! Anyway, I know that beaver dams are known for dramatically changing the ecology of their selected site, but why are they considered beneficial changes and not disruptive/destructive?

Kyle Cunningham-Rhoads

Who decided that parachuting beavers in as an ecological rescue animal in Idaho was a good idea? Like the ecological rescue part but really the parachuting part. WHY PARACHUTING? Do they like it? Did they ask for it? Also Oregon State alum (Go Beavs).

Madison Davis

First time question asker: What's the deal with that butt juice?

Jill Pelto

What are beaver's senses like? I got to watch one very close up at dusk with my dad years ago, and it got alarmed initially when it heard us approaching. But then we stayed perfectly still on shore and it swam within a few feet of us and didn't notice us -- it went back to it's dinner of bark!

Annalise De Young

How big were the dams of prehistoric beavers? Do we think they had greater influence on their rivers and lakes? Are there regional differences or trends in of dam construction? Or is it just make a thing with whatever you can get your teeth on?

Elizabeth Reed

I keep seeing pictures of beavers chewing a tree until it collapses on them. Is this a common occurrence or a fluke?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

So how does the beaver instinct to dam up the sound of running water work? I’ve heard of ‘beaver deceivers’ that play running water sounds to get the little buddies to move away from roads/houses etc. How do they know but not know it’s real at the same time???

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

What about the butt secretions that are supposed to be in ‘natural flavors’? Are beaver buddies being threatened by our collective love for childish fruity candy?

Eric Craft

Do beavers ever get hurt cutting down trees? I have seen some trees that have fallen into structures near me.

alex

how much wood can a woodchuck (beaver) chuck?

Rachel von Morrigan

So I’m gonna guess a beaver bite could break your bones?! I’m not looking to test a hypothesis,but what’s that jaw PSI? How much could a beaver fuck my whole world up?

Caroline

I know castoreum is considered safe for use in food (listed as "natural flavoring", though it is not allowed in straight vanilla flavoring by US regulation and it's not common cuz $$) and perfumes (on its own or in leathery accords), but can the beaver safely give us it's secretions? How much should I be worried my whiskey or perfume is causing beaver harm?

Timmy H.

Are there gay beavers?

Christa Avampato

How do beavers learn to build dams and do they develop their own individual styles of building like human architects do? Can beavers within a community tell which individual built a dam based on the style of it?

Bailey Pyritz

first time question asker here! have beavers always built dams or did they evolve to do it over time? if so when in their evolution journey did they start building dams?

BolognaShoes

I work at a land conservancy and we love beavers but hate when they flood our trails so we've installed "beaver deceivers" at a few preserves....I know how they work from a people perspective but I wonder what the beavers think about them, do they notice? Do they care?

Alice Rubin

I work in salmon recovery in the pnw, and we love to recruit beavers for our work, too!

Alice Rubin

Do beavers dream? Can they see in color?

Alice Rubin

I LOVE beavers! I hope you talk about their orange teeth and pooping in water.

William Andrews

Fact or Fiction: We get certain food flavoring chemicals from a beaver's hindquarters?

Sarah Hunsinger

How did Beaver tails evolve to the glorious overcooked oblong pancake size and shape that they are today? Why are they so big? Also, why are there pastries named after beaver tails? Also, shoutout to my friend Lindsey who loves Beavers and cried when I told her you were doing this episode. It’s going to be epic.

William Andrews

Do you ever get tired of people making *those* sorts of beaver jokes?

William Andrews

Have beavers ever been moved by people and become an invasive species?

William Andrews

Why did Wally's brother get that nickname?

Kai Kishimoto

What do those guts look like? It’s crazy that they can eat wood!

Ginja Ninja LB

How is the beaver population doing? I live in Oregon, the beaver state, but I haven't seen one since I was a kid. Are they still thriving in the NW? Also we have tons of Nutria here now... are they related? They sure look like it!

Josh

Do they hit things with their tails? Do their tails do anything cool? Do they have that oily otter fur that keeps water out and helps them glide through the water?

Kim C

My understanding is that relocation of beavers doesn't exactly work - so are conservationists looking into what could be done with beavers who get a little too urban? (Unfortunately, a few have been shot in my area 'cause apparently they're very territorial, and just make their way back if you move them. Drama when an animal control officer takes one out on someone's front lawn without warning.)

Aidan Wittig

Hi there, first time question asker here!

Aidan Wittig

I would like to know if the ologist knows if Beavers are more inclined to human habitation than most animals? My city has a semi-famous local beaver that lives in a small natural pond system directly beside the most used walking path by our university campus and he is always surrounded by visitors and just working away regardless!

Kailen A Mooney

Do beavers actually feed on and digest wood? What DO they eat?

Annika

Do they actually eat part of the wood they cut or just cut it down? How do they not get splinters in their tongue and mouth? Do they poop splinters? Do they prefer some trees over others? Do some taste better?

Emerson Milam

Beaver canals!! I frequent a park that is home to beavers and in the dry part of the year that turns the typical marsh into a meadow it looks like they've reinforced the water way with mud to keep it accessible. Is that a thing?

Rebekah Fitchett

What is up with their BUTTS? Please explain castoreum!!!! Also their tails!!!!

Ann Hanlin

BEAVERS!! Do they get cavities?? If they lose a tooth, does it grow back? Like if we lose a fingernail? What’s their favorite tree to monch on? How do I keep them from eating my trees while still encouraging them to thrive in the creek behind my house? Are their dens just as cozy as I’m picturing?

Rebecca Davis

What is it about the sound of moving water that just make beavers have to make a dam?? Do all beavers do this? Is it a genetic trait or a learned behavior?

roboddities

I'm part of a team building a beaver lodge and wetlands exhibit at the nature museum here in Chicago. I've been tasked with making an interactive sculpture of a beaver that slaps its tail, but I had a hard time finding footage of the action, mostly just splashes (and the turtle man getting slapped in the face, lmfao). Having been working on this beaver project for months I want to know everything about the tail slap behavior, do they use it to pat mud? do they make big splashes for fun? for territorial reasons?

Sam Phillips-Corwin

*Are there different beaver species? Are mountain beavers actually beavers? What did they evolve from and did there used to be strange beaver relatives or giant beaver ancestors? Also, are there any plants or animals that prefer beaver dams? What kind of ecosystem develops in a beaver dam?

Myriam Armstrong

Is it true that beavers pick the spot for their dam based on the sound of trickling water?

Natalie Mastick

Are beavers tree specialists? Like, do certain individuals specialize in certain types of trees to gnaw down?

Celeste

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

Celeste

I need everyone to know about Filbert and Maple of the Oregon Zoo. They are the branch managers. I was upset there was no merch for them when I went to the zoo so my partner made me a shirt that has a picture of Filbert with the title of branch manager and the dates ranging from his birth to present. The videos of them collecting branches are *chefs kiss*

Celeste

With that being said, what important factors must be present to have a beaver in a zoo or at a rehab habitat wise?

Brenden O'Donnell

What do their tails feel like? I desperately want to touch one.

Hannah nolen

First time question asker! What other kinds of animals use beaver dams?

Willow Hall

Ooooo, I hope I'm not too late replying to this post!!! So for context, I am working towards my masters in Ecological Restoration and part of the project requires us to build artificial beaver dams to start to restore an ancient wetland (that is sadly no longer all that wet). My question is if they have worked on any projects similar to that before? And what their thoughts are on that approach to enticing beavers back into a habit. So excited for this episode!!! Thank you again Pod Dad for somehow always finding topics that are super relevant to happenings in my crazy life!

Spencer Parks

What's with castoreum and why are humans gross?

Specs Owl

My mum would like to know, how many bebes do they have, and why are their tails flat?

Holly Spencer

How do you feel about the recent beaver reintroductions across the UK? Are there any plans to reintroduce beavers elsewhere in Europe?

Stephanie Coombes

How can they be sick incredible swimmers when going upstream? They do not look….streamlined. But I’ve seen them go against the current at wicked speeds?!?

Erik K

What is the biggest beaver dam built?

Sarah king

Do beavers stay in the same house for most of their life?

Sarah king

Story time with question: One time I was hiking with a dog and he jumped in a pond and wouldn’t get out and was just swimming in circles forever, he was so exhausted but kept going. I had to finally get in and pull him out then later a friend told me when a beaver feels threatened they can swim under their threat in circles until they drown. Is this true??

Kim Josund

Beavers are nature's architects and their activities actually help salmon! would love to hear this discussed. BeaversNW.org in Seattle area is doing great work with Tulalip Tribes on relocation and managing urban beavers if you need other resources

Justine Doll

What is the evolutionary purpose of building dams? Why don’t they just live in an underground burrow like most mammals their size would do?

Jessica Smith

YES! Why is it my favorite term for my lady parts? I think it is a) evocative in terms of pelt b) endearing yet powerful and and also sometimes a monumental pain in the ass and c) the term is both old-timey and seems to make my husband mildly embarrassed which both add points in my book

Reiley Allison

How true is the claim that beaver dams can help to build fire and drought resistant lands? This is going to take a lot of beaver and woody material, correct? :D

Joe Wilkie

first time question asker as of right now! are beavers lowkey scary the same way hippos are, or are they friendly lil buggers? also, has humanity done anything with beaver teeth? (charms, jewelry, wall mounted) they seem like a little extra bit of ivory if you had been hunting for pelts anyway

Laci Simon

First time question asker and I came to ask the same thing! Are they low key vicious? If one were to come across a beaver in the wild, what should you do? Are they baby bears with paddle tails?

Hope

Why do their anal glands get used for artificial vanilla flavor? Is it a similar compound?

Mykenzie King

What is the deal with the waffle tail? Does the waffle tail mean there are more in Belgium?

Jennifer Hauf

ALIE & TEAM, I just want to say that I literally (and, after years of adoring your work, Finally) just joined the Patreon because I wanted to request a beaver episode! (Sorry it took me so long to get here!) I felt really upset after reading an article about them in the NYT (link below). The author, Catrin Einhorn, wrote about how, after the federal government killed nearly 25,000 in 2021 alone, and "beaver believers" are starting to respect these creatures as "furry weapons of climate resilience." I was so upset about the murder of all of animals and the idea of *using* a species as a "weapon" (instead of working with them as a partner or, ideally, a teacher). I also had rage flashbacks to another piece in the NYT which devoted a few paragraphs to someone who moved to the country during covid, decided beavers were "horrible, nasty creatures that wreak havoc and destruction," and teamed up with a neighbor to kill those on his property. I'm sorry for this wall of text! And know that the interview probably already happened. But the way that so many people feel about beavers, especially after folks like my settler ancestors nearly exterminated them, is a perfect example of how colonization rages on. PS: There are some "beaver deceivers" in a few vulnerable spots near my home and they really are brilliant! There are actual beavers, too, and I love being their neighbor. Articles: It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off. https://nyti.ms/3AU83Ww They Fled for Greener Pastures, and There Were Weeds https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/realestate/new-yorkers-return-nyc-pandemic.html

Carla DM 101

Why are their front teeth that strange orange color?

Michelle Leonard

Talk to me about the anatomy of a beaver tail! What's it made of? What would a cross-section of a tail look like?