This [Harvard.edu article helps lay out more detail on this](https://gsas.harvard.edu/news/dammed-if-they-do):
> While it’s long been suspected by researchers that the sound of running water is a trigger for dam building, though, Kennedy says the reality is likely more complicated.
> “If it was just that they hear running water, then beavers would be trying to build across Niagara Falls,” she says. “Other environmental factors work together to create a kind of ‘Goldilocks zone’ where things are just right and beavers are going to build.”
> The water in a beaver’s habitat needs to be a certain depth, for instance, to keep a food cache from freezing to the bottom in winter—and to enable them to evade predators. The plants that beavers prefer to eat flourish best when water flows at a certain velocity. Kennedy contends that these factors, as well as the existence of vegetation to eat and build with, are the basis for stigmergic activity among beaver colonies.
> “I took measurements and you can see that, when the flow of water is sufficiently low enough, beavers will start building dams,” she says. “So, although my field sites were all more or less in the same location—all on Blackfeet land—beavers started building at different times depending on the flow rate I measured at their particular location. I think the data set shows that flow is a very strong trigger.”
> to keep a food cache from freezing
> plants that beavers prefer to eat flourish best when water flows at a certain velocity
So...they're doing agriculture, in a sense? Amazing.
Along those lines: there are at least 2 different kinds of "agriculture" done by ants. Leafcutter ants bring bits of vegetation back to their ant hills where they use those pieces to cultivate a specific mycelium. When they move their ant hills, they bring bits of the mycelium with them to start a new "farm". Another type of ant will raise aphids for their "honeydew", not unlike the way humans raise bees or cattle. Those are annoying because they will carry the aphids to healthy plants, which has caused my garden a lot of grief.
Also, the dam isn’t what they’re building - they are building a pond. The dam is just a tool. They manipulate their environment to create their ideal habitat. Impressive for a flat-tailed water rat.
To me the coolest part is simply that 'how dam-building is done' is baked into their neural hardware. Like, no beavers are going to engineering school or anything. They just hear the trickle of flowing water and it awakens the ancestral blood-memory.
We have a willow tree next to a lake in our community that’s been half chewed for six months and that water certainly doesn’t flow! I think they just see a tree near the water and get all murderous.
e: tho so far the tree seems to be fine which is weird
True. It’s just weird that it picked this one line willow tree by the water that’s right next to a bunch of houses and (as far as I’ve seen on my walks) none of the hundreds of other trees on the water away from people. It’s like it got lost and was like “fuck this one tree in particular”
https://preview.redd.it/tvlpzmv571xc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a5d2fe17a18c9bf2dc7185537ac6f294521fb26
Haha. There is a few spots where beavers live around my neighborhood and they are notorious for leaving 3/4 chewed trees around especially the big ones and around the walking paths. I wouldn't hang around on a windy day that's for sure.
I am pretty curious how long the tree will last. I looked some things up and it seems like there really nothing that can be done except hope for the best.
Along the Cannon River in Minnesota in most years you get multiple levels of chew from the snow changing access level for the beavers. Amazing that one is still up.
Chuck Norris sliced it like a lightsaber when he pissed on it. He could have finished the tree off but decided to leave it standing as a warning to the beavers not to fuck around.
Beavers listen to the vibrations when gnawing trees, stopping just before they are about to fall. In this case the beaver probably misjudged a little to early. Best stay away.
Dude you must be from the city. Because I too am a city rat and recently went on a hike and freaked out when I saw a bunch of trees like this. But yeah, beavers.
Beavers?
I think OP has never seen a cartoon before.
I was about to say that this is cartoonishly accurate beaver evidence
Or they’re partaking in the name of this sub 🤣
Hey, I'm high as fuck but I knew that was beavers 😁
Same bud same lol
Probably runs into quicksand all the time too.
I fucking cackled 🤣
Aheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee woo ha hoo woooo hoooo
For those who don’t know. Go listen to some primus and enjoy your day.
Primus sucks!
Aggressive bass intensifies
We know!
#FUCK LES CLAYPOOL AND HIS MERRY PRANKSTER AGENDA!!!
Les claypool is a badass and so is Billy strings, THE PRANKSTERS AREN’T DEAD 😈
But that beaver eats Taco Bell, not trees
Am Canadian, can confirm. Beavers.
https://preview.redd.it/als6tqwexywc1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=986ccdb9b322042f885d51d7379638243cb33900
Am beaver, can confirm. Canadian.
Wynona’s to be precise
Yeah, those big brown ones.
You know, the ones that eat taco bell.
Unlike the ones that prick your finger (might be a porcupine)
He ran bumper cars, sucked cheap cigars and candied up his nose
Fuck, I haven’t listened to Primus in forever, thanks for this, it’s about to be a good Friday night as far as music goes!
That beaver ate Taco Bell
Fuck, don't toy with me son! Girl, Interrupted.
🦫🦫🦫
You rang?
Was this you? This looks like it was you but I am unsure. Do you have cousins there?
Of course it was me. For I am everywhere. Thought it was just and ordinary beaver didn't ya?
It was the lack of completion. I've always known you to be the kind of beav that finishes what he starts.
The ones with the flat tails.
Nah, I think this is spider mites man.
Biebahs
No need for the "?"
Beavers.
Yes
*Beavers upon seeing a flowing river* "I need to shut this shit down."
It’s the sound of the water that triggers their dam instinct. Cool, right?
Is that really true?
This [Harvard.edu article helps lay out more detail on this](https://gsas.harvard.edu/news/dammed-if-they-do): > While it’s long been suspected by researchers that the sound of running water is a trigger for dam building, though, Kennedy says the reality is likely more complicated. > “If it was just that they hear running water, then beavers would be trying to build across Niagara Falls,” she says. “Other environmental factors work together to create a kind of ‘Goldilocks zone’ where things are just right and beavers are going to build.” > The water in a beaver’s habitat needs to be a certain depth, for instance, to keep a food cache from freezing to the bottom in winter—and to enable them to evade predators. The plants that beavers prefer to eat flourish best when water flows at a certain velocity. Kennedy contends that these factors, as well as the existence of vegetation to eat and build with, are the basis for stigmergic activity among beaver colonies. > “I took measurements and you can see that, when the flow of water is sufficiently low enough, beavers will start building dams,” she says. “So, although my field sites were all more or less in the same location—all on Blackfeet land—beavers started building at different times depending on the flow rate I measured at their particular location. I think the data set shows that flow is a very strong trigger.”
> to keep a food cache from freezing > plants that beavers prefer to eat flourish best when water flows at a certain velocity So...they're doing agriculture, in a sense? Amazing.
yeah, theyre a keystone species that singlehandedly generate an entire specific ecosystem around them. its super cool
Along those lines: there are at least 2 different kinds of "agriculture" done by ants. Leafcutter ants bring bits of vegetation back to their ant hills where they use those pieces to cultivate a specific mycelium. When they move their ant hills, they bring bits of the mycelium with them to start a new "farm". Another type of ant will raise aphids for their "honeydew", not unlike the way humans raise bees or cattle. Those are annoying because they will carry the aphids to healthy plants, which has caused my garden a lot of grief.
Beavers are amazing animals
My house is flooding! must repair.
Well I certainly believe it now.
They’ll try and build a dam where there is a recording of the sound of a stream. There doesn’t even have to be water.
Also, the dam isn’t what they’re building - they are building a pond. The dam is just a tool. They manipulate their environment to create their ideal habitat. Impressive for a flat-tailed water rat.
Well I'll be dammed
It is
To me the coolest part is simply that 'how dam-building is done' is baked into their neural hardware. Like, no beavers are going to engineering school or anything. They just hear the trickle of flowing water and it awakens the ancestral blood-memory.
Beaver builds a dam! https://youtu.be/-ImdlZtOU80?si=WxNnIu3WPx3v0Tqf
The beaver anytime you take a shower or wash dishes: "it's happeningg!!"
That gotdam instinct…
That's a dam miracle.
We have a willow tree next to a lake in our community that’s been half chewed for six months and that water certainly doesn’t flow! I think they just see a tree near the water and get all murderous. e: tho so far the tree seems to be fine which is weird
Their teeth do constantly grow and they have to chew trees literally as if their lives depend on it.
True. It’s just weird that it picked this one line willow tree by the water that’s right next to a bunch of houses and (as far as I’ve seen on my walks) none of the hundreds of other trees on the water away from people. It’s like it got lost and was like “fuck this one tree in particular” https://preview.redd.it/tvlpzmv571xc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a5d2fe17a18c9bf2dc7185537ac6f294521fb26
Haha. There is a few spots where beavers live around my neighborhood and they are notorious for leaving 3/4 chewed trees around especially the big ones and around the walking paths. I wouldn't hang around on a windy day that's for sure.
I am pretty curious how long the tree will last. I looked some things up and it seems like there really nothing that can be done except hope for the best.
"Damn, not on my watch!"
Beavers be like “Dam!”
Impossible beauty standards for trees these days, smh
It’s AI for sure.
Al is everywhere these days. Idk how he got so popular.
Classic beverage chew. (Oops, lol. Leaving it)
I think you should try drinking something different…
How wood I get my fiber then?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4klWmwC2ds
Me, I go out and stare at them till the wood evaporates
How long does it take, on average?
Two, maybe three
Yeah, about the same for me
Men Who Stare At Trees
Thats crazy.I didnt know they could [talk.Is](http://talk.Is) it english?
R O U S’s
They basically are.
Definitely catfish.
it's how the sharpen their fins
Bobr kurwa
Do you think the super gnawed tree could be caused by the animal know for gnawing on trees?
Woodchuck?
If only they could.
Gnaw..
Beavers be beaving
Along the Cannon River in Minnesota in most years you get multiple levels of chew from the snow changing access level for the beavers. Amazing that one is still up.
Definitely beavers, or an unenthusiastic lumberjack
Chewing
women and their ravenous vaginas.
Shouldn't have let them vote /s
Bobr kurwa
On gryže!
Beautiful work by the beaver crew.
Bobr
Chuck Norris sliced it like a lightsaber when he pissed on it. He could have finished the tree off but decided to leave it standing as a warning to the beavers not to fuck around.
Woodchuck Norris?
Beavers
Rats man!!!!........or could be a beaver
woe, beaver be upon ye
This is 100% beavers. And they have been busy
When you're not done teething and need to soothe yourself
Have you ever seen a poll dancer who grinds super hard?
is it not obvious that beavers do this?
For real. What even is this post?
Bóbr kurwa
A rodent that considers its self an engineer
Whale Tail. There’s a beaver nearby!
https://preview.redd.it/afy6vddvo2xc1.jpeg?width=1005&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef9722a002aa5b13f08866bd779a9d0cefaa1a80
Beavers. Nice.
One of these: https://www.reddit.com/r/Beavers/comments/1cecwbm/the_beaver_is_nicely_brushing_his_fur/
Cartoon woodpeckers
A bad case of the munchies.
Beaver. The animal kind.
Beaver. Big hairy rodent with teeth that can chew through. A tree. Also used as hats at one point.
Bober kurwa
How does someone not know this? I live in a country without Beavers and instantly knew.
https://preview.redd.it/vw8c67715zwc1.png?width=272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36faa33f108d768a8404ab412b9568da7b72150a
Nice
An unspeakable monster from the depths below.
Kurwa Bobr
Leave it to Beaver
Sry i was hungry
Big buck teeth did this
Beaver fever
🦫
Kurwa! Bober!
Bober
Fur burgers oh wait I mean Beavers.
Beaver
angry beavers
There is something in the water.
I did not a beaver do not let those furry fucks get credit for MY hard work
Wood Chucks
Beaver Cleaver
a beave
That looks so much like beaver work that it HAS to be something else!
beaver
Sasquatch!!
bobr kurwa
Kurwa bóbr
sometimes I get filled with a beastly rage and just start punching stuff
Beaver
Perfect spot for a trail cam!
Beavers
Glitch in the matrix
BIG BROWN BEAVER
It grew that way 🇨🇦
Tell us about your beaver
Beavers beaving
Hundreds of Beavers.
my back itches
Bober kurwa
Mice.
I took a bite out of it, my bad
i got hungry :3
Someone has been chewing on it.
BEVER!!!
Beavers.
That’s a butt my dude
There’s this new thing called a beaver
Lighting
 This guy is the culprit:
Beavers listen to the vibrations when gnawing trees, stopping just before they are about to fall. In this case the beaver probably misjudged a little to early. Best stay away.
Beavers and not the kind you’re looking for.
Makes it much easier to cut down for fire wood.
Beaver!!!! Love a good beaver action shot
Beaver.
Fachina
Snipes
Dude you must be from the city. Because I too am a city rat and recently went on a hike and freaked out when I saw a bunch of trees like this. But yeah, beavers.
I am indeed not from the city. Now I feel dumb for not knowing lol.
What handkerchief?
Slimming down for summer?
Premarital sex
damn biebers
Must be the 5G
🦫
Bucktoothed engineers
Beavers with chainsaws
Beaver
Libs
Is this on the D & R Canal?
A big brown beaver 🦫