mountain beaver

mountain beaver
a small, burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa, of the Pacific coastal region of North America, considered the most primitive living rodent. Also called sewellel.
[1880-85, Amer.]

* * *

rodent
also called  sewellel 
 a muskrat-sized burrowing rodent found only in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Unlike the American and Eurasian beavers (beaver) (genus Castor), the mountain beaver has an extremely short tail and is less than a half metre (1.6 feet) in length; weight is less than 2 kg (4.4 pounds).

      It is characterized by small rounded ears, small eyes, short and robust limbs with five digits on each foot, and a white spot under the ears. All digits except the thumb (pollex) end in long, curved, sharp claws; the thumb is partially opposable and bears a nail. The animal is dark grayish to reddish brown on the upperparts and gray beneath, its short coat composed of a dense underfur with scattered guard hairs. Mountain beavers are solitary and have acute tactile and olfactory senses but limited ability to see and hear. Their vocalizations are limited to a soft whining, sobbing sound when in pain, grating produced by the teeth, and a high squeal when fighting.

      The range of the mountain beaver consists of four disjunct regions: one extending from southern British Columbia to the northern tip of California, another at Mount Shasta (Shasta, Mount) and along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and two tiny populations north of San Francisco Bay along the California coast. Here they live in wet forests and meadows at all elevations below the treeline wherever the soil is deep. They are good swimmers and especially prefer areas near seeps and streams in the understories of brambly thickets. Although active night and day, mountain beavers are rarely found far from the entrances of their extensive burrow (burrowing) systems. They construct tunnels 13–18 cm (5–7 inches) high and 15–25 cm wide that radiate from nest sites, food-storage chambers, and numerous openings to the surface. Most burrowing occurs during the summer months, and aboveground activity nearly ceases in winter. However, the mountain beaver does not hibernate and travels through burrows made in the snow. Mating occurs during this time, with a usual litter of two or three kits appearing from February to April after about one month's gestation. During summer, mountain beavers eat most species of ferns along with leaves of shrubs and deciduous trees, then shift to bark and seedlings of conifers and deciduous trees. Also eaten are bracken fern, devil's club, stinging nettle, and rhododendron, which are toxic or unpalatable to other animals. Occasionally mountain beavers climb trees, where they will chew off twigs up to six metres from the ground. In August, mountain beavers pile vegetation near burrow entrances until it becomes wilted or dry, then move it into the burrow to be eaten or used as nest lining.

      Aplodontia rufa is the sole remaining species of the family Aplodontidae (suborder Sciuromorpha, order Rodentia). It is relict from a diverse evolutionary history (three families and 34 genera) extending back to the Middle Eocene Epoch (16.4 million to 11.2 million years ago) of North America; some now-extinct forms also lived during Oligocene (Oligocene Epoch) to Miocene (Miocene Epoch) times in Europe and Asia. Fossils of the living species come from Late Pleistocene (Pleistocene Epoch) sediments in northern California, within its modern range. The mountain beaver is more closely related to squirrels (squirrel) (family Sciuridae) than to beavers (family Castoridae) or any other living rodent.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mountain Beaver — Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Recent …   Wikipedia

  • Mountain beaver — Mountain Moun tain (moun t[i^]n), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains; among mountains; as, a mountain torrent; mountain pines; mountain goats; mountain air;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mountain beaver — Sewellel Se*wel lel, n. [Of American Indian origin.] (Zo[ o]l.) A peculiar gregarious burrowing rodent ({Haplodon rufus}), native of the coast region of the Northwestern United States. It somewhat resembles a muskrat or marmot, but has only a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mountain beaver — aplodontas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Aplodontia rufa angl. mountain beaver; sewellel vok. Stummelschwanzhörnchen rus. аплодонтия; горный бобр pranc. castor de montagne ryšiai: platesnis terminas …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • mountain beaver — noun a burrowing forest dwelling rodent of western North America. [Aplodontia rufa.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • mountain beaver — noun bulky nocturnal burrowing rodent of uplands of the Pacific coast of North America; the most primitive living rodent • Syn: ↑sewellel, ↑Aplodontia rufa • Hypernyms: ↑rodent, ↑gnawer • Member Holonyms: ↑Aplodontia, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Beaver Island State Park — Map of Beaver Island State Park, with Beaver Island Parkway highlighted. Type State park Location Grand Island, New Y …   Wikipedia

  • Beaver Mountain — located near the summit of Logan Canyon, in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah.While smaller and less developed than a number of Utah ski resorts, Beaver Mountain is very popular with residents of nearby Logan and surrounding Cache Valley …   Wikipedia

  • Beaver — (engl. für Biber) steht für: Beaver (Texteditor) De Havilland Canada DHC 2 Beaver, ein Flugzeug eine Nord Athabaskische Sprache Beaver, eine niederländische Rockband Ortschaften: Beaver (Alaska) Beaver (Arkansas) Beaver (Iowa) Beaver (Louisiana)… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mountain — Moun tain (moun t[i^]n), a. 1. Of or pertaining to a mountain or mountains; growing or living on a mountain; found on or peculiar to mountains; among mountains; as, a mountain torrent; mountain pines; mountain goats; mountain air; mountain… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”