1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Everyone. It's Josh, and for this week's Select, I've chosen 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: our October twenty twenty episode on beavers because it's one 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: of our best animal episodes, which is really saying something 4 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: because our animal episodes are pretty great. And it turns 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: out that beavers aren't just cute and diligent at work. 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: They have a huge cascading effect, a positive one too, 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: on the ecosystems that they move into. So behold and 8 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: enjoy the Beaver. 9 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know a production of iHeartRadio. 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, and 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: there's Charles w Chuck Bryan over there, and there's Jerry somewhere. 12 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: And it says, Steve, you should know the Orange Insizer's edition. 13 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: No, I thought you're gonna make a bad naked gun joke. 14 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: No, No, it's We've run through my head over and 15 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: over and over and over and over and over and 16 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: over again. 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 2: Though it's hard though when you're at our age. Yeah, 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 2: and you saw those movies, yeah for sure. 19 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: Yeah. Dumb joke though, Yeah, Well, I mean it's a 20 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: naked gun joke for Pete's saying, come. 21 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 2: On, So this kind of ties in I think a 22 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: little bit with our porcupine episode and that beavers are 23 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: you know, they're porcupine esque in some ways. 24 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: I think it ties in even more to our Wetlands episode, 25 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: which gave birth to the idea for this episode. You know, yeah, absolutely, 26 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: I mean I'm pretty excited about this one. I think 27 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: beavers are about as great as it gets because they're 28 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: so studious and they also bend the world to their will. 29 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: They shape things the way that they want them and 30 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: I like that about them. 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I also love their familial aspects. Yeah, which 32 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: we'll get to all this stuff. But what we're talking 33 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 2: about is the largest rodent in North America. 34 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: Which really demeans them, I guess. 35 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 2: But yes, rodent's such a it's not a bad word. 36 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: There's so many great rodents. Oh, beavers, porcupines, what else. Squirrels. 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 2: I know you have a thing with squirrels. 38 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: But well, I know I like squirrels now. Momo and 39 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: I and you me sometimes comes with us to chase 40 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: squirrels across the street in the park and feed them peanuts. 41 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,359 Speaker 1: We give them peanuts is like to kind of buy 42 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: them off after mo chases them up a tree. But 43 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: the squirrels across the way will actually come to you 44 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 1: and eat peanuts out of your hand. So I'm kind 45 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: of on squirrels now. Momo loves squirrels, chipmunks, mice, chipmunks too. Yeah. 46 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 1: Rodents are okay, Chuck. 47 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,839 Speaker 2: I think there are fewer terrible rodents, and the only 48 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 2: ones I can think of that are terrible are those 49 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: scary New York City sewer rats. 50 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, okay, so rodents are all right up with rodents, 51 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: I guess rabbits and I don't think they're rodents. 52 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 2: They are you like a hamster? 53 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: Sure, hamsters. I don't know if rabbits are rodents. Are 54 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: they It makes sense that they would be. 55 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 2: But it's what rodent dot com says. 56 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: Okay, well, who am I to disagree with that? But 57 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: we're not talking about rabbits. We're not talking about sewer rats. 58 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: We're talking about beavers. And again, beavers are amazing, amazing animals, 59 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: and like you said, you know, it's kind of related 60 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: to porcupines, and that there's what you could call Old 61 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: World and New World beavers. But there's really just two species, 62 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: and one is found in North America and one is 63 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: found in Eurasia. And it's easy, pasy, no fuss, no must. 64 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: These are the beavers that are alive on the planet. 65 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we've got the American beaver. They weigh between 66 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 2: fifteen and sixty five pounds, which is very large. If 67 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: you've ever seen a large beaver in the wild, it's 68 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: not scary because you know, and we'll get to whether 69 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 2: or not they they're dangerous. They're really not. But it's 70 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 2: such a large thing that you're like, wow, they're bigger 71 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 2: than I thought. Usually has run through my head when 72 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: I see a beaver. 73 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean sixty or thirty No, yeah, sixty five 74 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: pounds is about thirty kilograms. 75 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 2: It's a big beaver. 76 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: It is a big beaver. And I had to converty 77 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: to kilograms for at least our friends in Canada because 78 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: beaver's their national emblem. They have beaver on their nickel, 79 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: which is amazing. Like, this just makes me love Canada 80 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: all the much more, you know. 81 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: So for that sixty pounds, you're going to be a 82 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 2: couple of feet long twenty three to forty inches long. Hm, 83 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 2: that's without the tail. You don't count the tail when 84 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 2: you're measuring a beaver. The tail will talk a little 85 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 2: bit more about it, But they're anywhere from seven to 86 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:46,679 Speaker 2: twelve inches. If you're Eurasian, you're about the same size. Mate. 87 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 2: You can be a little bit smaller, Oh I thought bigger, 88 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 2: Well you can be a little smaller on the I 89 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 2: think the range is bigger. Okay, so you can be 90 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: down in the twenties poundage wise, but up to the 91 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 2: seventies poundage wise, and you're probably a little bit longer, 92 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: and your skull and your tail are going to be narrower, 93 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 2: or your tail's narrower and your skull is smaller. 94 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: So yeah, but that tail is what everybody understands when 95 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: they see a beaver. Just like with a porcupine and 96 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: its quills, a beaver in its tail is they're just synonymous. 97 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: Everybody recognizes a beaver because of its tail, and also 98 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: the tails help make it cute. Even though if you 99 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: zoomed in and took a really close look at the tail, 100 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,240 Speaker 1: you'd be like gross. You think, yeah, it's scaly, it's 101 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: got sparse, coarse hair associated with it. It looks like 102 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: a black jack that some old timy like ruffs would 103 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: beat you up with. And yet it's one of the 104 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: most amazing appendages any animal has as far as it's 105 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 1: like a Swiss Army knife foot for tails. 106 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're very useful in a lot of ways. They 107 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 2: obviously if they're swimming, and beavers, by the way, can 108 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: swim five to seven miles an hour. They have little 109 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 2: web feet they have, they can close their ear holes 110 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 2: in their nose holes, and they can roll their film 111 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 2: over their eyeballs. 112 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, nictitating membrane. 113 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's amazing. So if they're gonna be swimming, then 114 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 2: that tail is gonna be acting as a rudder and 115 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 2: as a propeller. It's also if they're on land, it's 116 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 2: gonna act as a little kickstand at times. 117 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, when they stand up on their back legs, they 118 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: use their tail to kind of lean against the balance. 119 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: It's a big one for sure. They also, and this 120 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: is a sure sign that you have frightened slash upset 121 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: a beaver. They will slap the water with their tail 122 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: in part to frighten you away, to say like, don't 123 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: mess with me, but also to warn other beavers because, 124 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 1: like you were saying, they're familial, they are actually fairly 125 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: social animals and they live in family units, so they 126 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: would want to warn like you know the wife and 127 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: the kids back at the lodge. 128 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 2: Yeah. And here's the thing. I spent a lot of 129 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 2: time at a lake here in Georgia, and I have 130 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 2: heard something which I thought was a beaver tail smash, 131 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 2: but I'm not sure because I didn't see it. I 132 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 2: have seen evidence of beaver eating tree stuff, oh yeah, yeah, 133 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 2: and which we'll get to. And one day when I 134 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: was in the lake, I saw a mammal's head coming 135 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: toward me and I don't know if it was. We 136 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 2: also have river otter, so I don't know if it 137 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: was an otter or a beaver, but either way it 138 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 2: was it was a large head. And even though I 139 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 2: know that they weren't going to like come after me, 140 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 2: when that thing pops under the water, You're just like, 141 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 2: where's he going, what's he doing? Where is he? Is 142 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: he coming at me or not? 143 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: Were you swimming in the lake at the time. 144 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was swimming in the lake and I saw 145 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 2: this large mammal head, you know, dumped under I could 146 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: feel you. And if it was I'm not sure how 147 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 2: long beavers can hold their or Otters can hold their breasts, 148 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: but beavers can hold their breath for about fifteen minutes, 149 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: which is pretty remarkable. 150 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: I thought. I think remarkable too. I mean, it really 151 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: just goes to show just how adapted they are for 152 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: life in the water. And they are mammals, so they 153 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: have lung so they need to breathe air outside of 154 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: the water. But yeah, the fact that they can hold 155 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: their breaths for fifteen minutes, that they have nictitating membranes 156 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: that cover their eyes like little goggles so they can 157 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: see and work underwater. They spend a significant amount of 158 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: their time underwater. In fact, they're most protected in water. 159 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: That's where they can move the fastest. They can swim 160 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: pretty fast, way faster than they can waddle on land. Sure, 161 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: and a lot of their predators won't necessarily come into, 162 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: especially deep water after them. So when they're in the water, 163 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: they're at their they're in their happy place most. 164 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, and imagine when they dive for fifteen minutes and 165 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,959 Speaker 2: are swimming around. What do you think those. 166 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: Fish think, Oh, here comes a beaver. 167 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 2: They do they know or are they just like, what 168 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 2: in the world is that big hairy thing? 169 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: I would guess that I would like to think they know. 170 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: I like to think of communities of animals or ecosystems. 171 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 2: Just they know each other. 172 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, they know each other. They know each other's foibles. 173 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: They've come to accept one another. You know, they have 174 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: their other things, but beaver foibles they always kind of 175 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: you know, they in the end that when somebody, you know, 176 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 1: like a human comes in and tries to screw things up, 177 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: they'll all band together and you know, raise money for 178 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: the community center so that the developer can't buy it. 179 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 2: So if you are North American beaver, you can live 180 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 2: pretty much anywhere in North America except for the desert. 181 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,599 Speaker 2: Because you want water around, you're probably going to be 182 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:40,959 Speaker 2: near pond or a lake, or a marsh or a 183 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 2: swamp or a river. Eurasian beavers used to live all 184 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 2: over Europe and Asia, but they were hunted over hunted 185 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 2: because at one point in time, wearing beaver pelts and 186 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,839 Speaker 2: beaver hats was like a really high fashion. So now 187 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: they're only found in Germany, France, Poland, Scandinavia, Southern Scandinavia, 188 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: and Central Russia. 189 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and a lot of those are because they were 190 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: reintroduced to the areas, Like I believe Germany had to 191 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: have their population reintroduced because they were hunted to extinction 192 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: and how many. 193 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 2: Beavers used to be here, like four hundred million. 194 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: That's the estimate is that in North America prior to 195 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: Colombian contact, that there were about four hundred million beavers 196 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: and they were hunted down to near extinction within the 197 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands from what I saw, and were luckily 198 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: held back from the brink. And when I say luckily, 199 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: I don't just mean for the beavers, but I mean 200 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: for the planet as far as North America is concerned. 201 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 1: Because one of the things that we are still learning 202 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 1: but have come to realize, is that the beavers are 203 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: probably the most useful species on the planet because they're 204 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: one of the few species that alters their environment as 205 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: radically as they do. 206 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, what are they called. 207 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: They're a keystone species species because when they are present, 208 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: biodiversity thrives, and when beavers are removed from an area, 209 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: biodiversity suffers. The presence of beavers makes life better and 210 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: richer for entirely other animals and species, just because of 211 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: what they do and how they do it. 212 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 2: All Right, that's a great place to take a break. 213 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 2: And I say, when we come back, we talk about 214 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 2: the two fundamental fulcrumbs on which beaver life is based. 215 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 2: The dam and the lodge. 216 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 3: Okay, stop, stop, all right, we're back. 217 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 2: And there are a couple of things. You know, you've 218 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 2: heard busy as a beaver. Uh, it's it's I don't 219 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 2: know if that's proven, but I think it is almost 220 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 2: universally agreed that that phrase came about because beavers are, 221 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 2: in fact very busy, and they work, work, work all 222 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 2: day long, building their homes and building dams. Their homes 223 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 2: are called lodges. And you've probably seen, if you've ever 224 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 2: been hiking and stuff in America, you've probably seen a 225 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 2: beaver lodge by a river, ear lake. It's a little 226 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,199 Speaker 2: little dome, a little hot out of sticks and grasses 227 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 2: and moss and mud. 228 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 1: Maybe you thought a local witch had built it. 229 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe it does look like a little Uh what 230 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: do you call witch's houses? 231 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: Witch's house? I think there's a cottage. 232 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 2: Oh sure, I think there's a different name. But I 233 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 2: thought so. Now I don't, I don't know. 234 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: I think so witch house. 235 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 2: Maybe I'm thinking of Coven's. 236 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: House a day witch. 237 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 2: No, there's a word. We just I just watched The 238 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 2: Witch the movie again. I think there's a word for it. 239 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: Man, I love that. That might be my favorite movie. 240 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 2: We did a movie Crush Roundtable on that. By the way, 241 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 2: it was really good. 242 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: It is a good And that's the guy who did 243 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:07,719 Speaker 1: the Lighthouse, isn't it. 244 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, Rob Potters, God bless that. 245 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: Man. I can't wait to see his biking movie too. 246 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,440 Speaker 2: Oh man, I can't imagine. Okay, So the beaver lodge is, 247 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:21,959 Speaker 2: you know, about eight feet wide a few feet high. 248 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 2: They're on the banks of these ponds or on lake shores. 249 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 2: They have this is one of my favorite parts. Many 250 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 2: of them have a little underwater back door. 251 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 252 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 2: It's like sort of a ski in chalet if you're 253 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: snow skiing. 254 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, which makes sense because again, they spend so much 255 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: time in the water, but also it protects them from 256 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: terrestrial predators because they can get into the water and 257 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: escape when a predators like at their door. 258 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. And you know this is they're nocturnal, they don't hibernate, 259 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 2: but most of this action's going on at night, and 260 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 2: everyone pitches in the whole family. I don't think we 261 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 2: said yet. They live with their children till they're about two. 262 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 2: And a beaver lodge you might find a mom and 263 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 2: a dad who are monogamous mates for life, and they 264 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 2: might have their three two year old almost two year 265 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 2: old children, and then they might have their little grand babies. 266 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, because when they have their their babies, which are 267 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: called kits, which admittedly is not as cute a word 268 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: as porcupets. 269 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 2: No, but they're cute. 270 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: But dude, just baby for press pause right now, everybody, 271 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: and go look up some baby beaver pictures, little tails. 272 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: They're cute. So they have baby beavers. And one of 273 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: the reasons why they're so cute is because they stick 274 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: around for so long, or they stick around so long 275 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: because they're so cute. That's what I mean to say. Yes, 276 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: but they do. They stay as part of the family 277 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: unit and help work on the family lodge and damn 278 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: until about two when they wander off, and then at 279 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: three they start to mate. But they build their own 280 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: lodge at age two, and from what I've read, it's 281 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: usually very clumsy. It's not in the best place necessarily, 282 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: and so they kind of learn as they go. But 283 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: they also learn from their family unit first, which I 284 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: think is super cute. 285 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 2: It is I think we should talk about dams though. 286 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 2: I mean, the lodges are are cool and it's a 287 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 2: great place to live if you're a beaver. But the 288 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 2: dams is where they really that's where they get their 289 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 2: shining moment as a species. That really helps out the 290 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 2: environment because they help create these wetlands, don't they. 291 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, So a beaver will move into an area that's 292 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: dry as a bone, that's maybe crop land, that's maybe timberland, 293 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 1: that is not at all flooded. There's no pond or 294 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 1: wetland or anything like that, and they say, this can 295 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: be better. And so they find like a source of 296 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: moving water like a stream or a brook, maybe a creek, 297 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: maybe a creek something like that, and they stop it up. 298 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: They build a dam, and they build this damp so 299 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: that the water backs up behind it and floods this 300 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: area and turns it into a wetland. And they do 301 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: this not to irk humans or just for fun. They 302 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: do it because they're altering the ecosystem to better suit themselves. 303 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: Like I said, they survive much better when they're in 304 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: the water. They move faster, they can work faster. So 305 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: they actually make this ecosystem into an aquatic ecosystem where 306 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: before there wasn't an aquatic ecosystem. And they do it 307 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: all by building this dam, and the way that they 308 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: build dams is magnificent in and of itself. 309 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, so you know, you got your dam base, the 310 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 2: foundation basically where you're going to use mud and gravel 311 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 2: that you get from the stream, and you kind of 312 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 2: work together as a family and with your tail and 313 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 2: they're pushing I say, we're beaver's all of a sudden, 314 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 2: and you're pushing this mud and gravel up from the 315 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 2: bottom of the stream. 316 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. 317 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 2: And if let's say it's a place where the creek 318 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 2: is running a little bit too fast and there's too 319 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 2: much flow, they're going to say, you know what, We're 320 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 2: going to take these sticks. We're gonna pile these things 321 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:09,479 Speaker 2: up all along the bottom until basically it's like building 322 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 2: from the ground up until they're strong enough to stay 323 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 2: in place. 324 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: Right. But they're so good at using their hands, and 325 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: they're so strong. You said, you know, sixty sixty five 326 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: pounds or about thirty kilograms. They're mostly muscle too. They're 327 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:26,640 Speaker 1: really strong little little rodents, especially for being like herbivores. 328 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 1: You know, they're like those vegan body builders. But they 329 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: can take they'll take sticks and like plant them in 330 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: the bottom of this stream or whatever and start forming 331 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,120 Speaker 1: a lattice work that they weave in between and fill 332 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: up with mud to really stop up some you know, 333 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: fast moving current. That Like, that's the level of manipulation 334 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,239 Speaker 1: that they're they're doing. They're they're building a dam that 335 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 1: they they eventually successfully back up the flow of water from. 336 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, which is I've tried to do that before, and 337 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 2: it's hard to do. Yeah. My buddy Scotty and I, 338 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 2: you know, we went camping once in California, and it 339 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 2: was when I was young in the film industry, so 340 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 2: there was a lot of time between jobs, and we 341 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:14,680 Speaker 2: just decided to stay and keep staying, and I think 342 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 2: we ended up staying for like eleven or twelve days wow. 343 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 2: And we wanted to build a waterfall next to our campsite, 344 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 2: so it sounded better. So we spent days and days 345 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 2: with sticks and big rocks and trying to reroute and 346 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,919 Speaker 2: change the river. And it was some of the hardest 347 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 2: work I've ever done. 348 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 1: Imagine doing that at like forty eight inches long and 349 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: only sixty five pounds. 350 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. So they're not only building this thing up, they 351 00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 2: got their little kits and their children helping, like bringing 352 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 2: up sticks and mud saying paw mas is okay, and 353 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 2: they say, yeah, add it to the pile. And then 354 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:56,640 Speaker 2: once they're done, they like, there's a periodic like inspections 355 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 2: that go on, Yeah, because they got to make sure 356 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 2: that it stays strong, because that current just keeps going 357 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 2: and it's very easy to wiggle the right stick loose 358 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 2: and all of a sudden it starts crumbling down. So 359 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 2: they basically inspect these things every so often and check 360 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 2: it for leaks and bring in mud and patch it up, 361 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,720 Speaker 2: just like it's like a human might do. 362 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: Oh, I saw that they do daily maintenance on it. 363 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: That one way to tell whether beavers are in the 364 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 1: area is to find their dam, make it like a 365 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: little miner hole in it, and then go back and 366 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: look the next day, and if it's patched up, the 367 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: beavers are around there and giving you the middle finger 368 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: right exactly like okay, yeah we're here, you've figured it out, 369 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: Please leave our dam alone. But yeah, these things are 370 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: like water tight for the most part, or they allow 371 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: very little water through, or I guess from what I 372 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 1: can tell, as much water as the beaver wants through. 373 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: Like they're very willfully deliberately constructed structures. That will turn 374 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: a dry area into a wetland. And when that happens, 375 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: one of the things that they used to build the 376 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: stuff with their trees around the area, they can they 377 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: use their teeth, those really really sharp, strong teeth that 378 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: I said are like kind of orangish at the very 379 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,439 Speaker 1: beginning of the episode, and they're very they're orange because 380 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: they have so much iron in them, which actually gives 381 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: them that much more strength. 382 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:21,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're up to an inch long. They're super strong. 383 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 2: They they actually sharpen as they gnaw on trees, so 384 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 2: it's not like it'll dull their teeth out. It actually 385 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 2: sharpens them. And the other thing they're doing is they're 386 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 2: eating that tree. They're one of the few mammals that 387 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 2: are maybe the only mammal that can actually digest cellulose. 388 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: Well, porcupines can too, remember, Oh that's right, Yeah, they can. 389 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: They can digest cellulos because they probably have a very 390 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: similar kind of bacteria that helps them helps digest it 391 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: for them. But they digest a lot of the cellulos 392 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 1: that they eat, and it's really hard to break down 393 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: normally for mammals though. 394 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, but like you know, you said, they're essentially creating 395 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 2: these wetlands. They're preventing erosion, they are helping to pure 396 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 2: the water. 397 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: Oh, let's talk about what the dams can do. Okay, Chuck. 398 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 2: I mean it's amazing there. It's like a little environmental 399 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 2: coalition that goes into the woods to make things better. 400 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. So I think in the Wetlands episode, I said 401 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 1: something like a beaver creates the equivalent of some like 402 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: a five million dollar wastewater treatment plan or something like that. 403 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,160 Speaker 1: I could not find that again to save my life, 404 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: but I think that was roughly Yet, they create this 405 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,879 Speaker 1: this structure that creates the artificial wetland, and in doing so, 406 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: it filters the water because it slows the water down 407 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,360 Speaker 1: so much that the stuff can trickle down to the bottom. 408 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: It turns a normal terrestrial piece of land into a wetland. 409 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: So aquatic plants come. And they've also found out that 410 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: not only does it filter water of like sediment and particles, 411 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:54,200 Speaker 1: it also is capable of handling farm runoff fertilizer, which 412 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: is really pernicious because you know, when all that fertilizer 413 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: makes its way into watersheds and wetlands, it creates algae blooms, 414 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 1: which suck up all the oxygen and kill off a 415 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: bunch of fish, right, which is a big problem. They 416 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:12,920 Speaker 1: figured out that beaver dams actually work against that by 417 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: fixing nitrogen excess nitrogen from fertilizer. It prevents it from flowing. 418 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: Bacteria chomps down on it and releases it as nitrogen 419 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,680 Speaker 1: gas into the atmosphere, and the stuff the bacteria doesn't 420 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: eat floats down to the bottom gets eaten up by 421 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,360 Speaker 1: aquatic plants, which when they die, lock it into the sediment. 422 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: So this farm runoff that's a huge problem as it stands, 423 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: is actually mitigated by beaver dams. They've recently found out. 424 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, and talk about just what kind of impact it 425 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 2: has on who lives there. I mean, it's basically like 426 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 2: an invitation to nature that says, hey, we got a 427 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 2: good scene going over here. If you're an invertebrate that 428 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: doesn't feel like they have a home, you're welcome here. 429 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 2: If you're a new speci he's a bird that didn't 430 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 2: think that you would flourish here, time to change that attitude. 431 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 2: If you're a duck or a goose, you can nest 432 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 2: on top of our lodge because our lodge is super 433 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: warm because it's full of beavers and you can nest 434 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,000 Speaker 2: on top of there and stay warm, and especially if 435 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 2: it's out in the middle of a pond or something, 436 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 2: you're gonna be safer. 437 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,639 Speaker 1: What else, if you are a woodpecker and you're like, 438 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: all these trees are too healthy, there's no insects in them, 439 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: well just wait because flooded timberland doesn't stand up very 440 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: well to standing water, and so some of those trees 441 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 1: die off and they get they provide housing for insects, 442 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: which in turn provides food for the woodpeckers. 443 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 2: What if you're a moose, let's say, probably no good 444 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 2: for you, right. 445 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: No, you're gonna love this if you're a moose, so 446 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,880 Speaker 1: buckle up, because the beaver has turned it into a wetland. 447 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 1: It's now an aquatic environment, and moose like aquatic plants 448 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: that grow on the edge of like marshy areas. So 449 00:23:57,200 --> 00:23:59,919 Speaker 1: these plants that weren't there before are suddenly there for 450 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:04,479 Speaker 1: the moves. And it gets even better because when the 451 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: beaver family finally like is you know, moves away or 452 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: they die off and the whole thing gets abandoned. The 453 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 1: eventually the dam's going to break without regular maintenance, and 454 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: when it does, the place is going to go back 455 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: to how it was before, but it's going to go 456 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: back to better than it was before because think about 457 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: all that nitrogen that was fixed in the sediment, all 458 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,440 Speaker 1: the erosion that was prevented, and all of a sudden, 459 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: you have a lush, beautiful meadow that deer can come 460 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: eat on. 461 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Like they they help out all 462 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 2: these animals and introduce all these new animals that can 463 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 2: live together, and then once it's done, it becomes a 464 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 2: flowery meadow for deer. 465 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 1: They leave it better than it was when they first 466 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: got there. 467 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 2: Amazing. 468 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: It is amazing. The problem is is that humans frequently 469 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: have much different plans for those same areas, and beaver 470 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:58,760 Speaker 1: want to foul them. I say, we take a break 471 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: and we come back and talk about that after a break. 472 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:09,119 Speaker 1: Like I just said, what do you think? Answer now? Yes? Okay? 473 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 2: Stop stop stop. 474 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: Shut all right? So we love beaver. You love beaver. 475 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,480 Speaker 1: Everyone out there listening, there's a lot of people who 476 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:41,359 Speaker 1: don't love beaver. 477 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 2: Is it beaver? 478 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 1: It is now okay? And the reason why is because 479 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: if you own like a stand of timber, your plan 480 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: is to eventually cut that timber down and sell it 481 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:58,440 Speaker 1: for wood planks or books, you know, like stuff you 482 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: should know. Calling an incomplete compendium of mostly interesting things 483 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: available everywhere you get books to pre order. Now, there's 484 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: things you can do with trees that you grow. And 485 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: if beavers move into your area and they build the dam, 486 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: those dams are effective. This isn't like a little puddle 487 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: we're talking about. They can create basic basically like lakes, ponds, 488 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:23,680 Speaker 1: like enormous wetlands. And when you have standing water over timberland, 489 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: those trees are not They're not aquatic trees that you're 490 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 1: growing there, so they actually die again, remember they die 491 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: off and bugs move in and woodpeckers eat the bugs. Well, 492 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: if you're trying to make money off of those trees, 493 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: you don't really want the beavers to do that to 494 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: your timberland. 495 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 2: No, And I think how many tens of millions of dollars. 496 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 2: I think it was like twenty million dollars a year 497 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 2: or something. 498 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: I think more than that because I think I saw 499 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: Alabama alone suffered like fourteen million dollars in law really 500 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: from timberland, just Alabama. 501 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 2: From beaver damage. And not only that it'll it'll flooding 502 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 2: for crop. It can make what was ordinarily a very 503 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 2: stable bridge or road now unstable and cause damage to 504 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 2: roads and stuff like that. 505 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,640 Speaker 1: From like saturating the soil that was holding it up 506 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: just fine before. 507 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, the good news is back in the old days, 508 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 2: there would just you know, they would just cull as 509 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 2: many beavers as they could to get rid of them. 510 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 2: These days, and this is kind of a weird stat 511 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 2: but it says seventy five percent of beaver human conflict 512 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 2: can be resolved without trapping or killing the beavers. So yeah, 513 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 2: I take that as in they will somehow move them 514 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,919 Speaker 2: along in a way that's humane. 515 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: Well, I don't know if that's even the case. I 516 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: think that more often than not, the first question is 517 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: is the beaver really causing a problem or is it 518 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,720 Speaker 1: that there's beavers and they've created this wetland and that 519 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 1: wasn't there before, and you're taking it as a problem. 520 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 1: And that's the thing that I'm seeing that it seems 521 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: to be like the new paradigm for viewing beavers as 522 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 1: far as their relationship to humans. It's like, really, what's 523 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: what's the problem. If it's yes, they're damaging crop land. Okay, 524 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,479 Speaker 1: that's a problem. If they're killing timberland, that's a problem. 525 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: If they've if they're washing out a road, that's a problem. 526 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,680 Speaker 1: But if they just created a wetland that wasn't there 527 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 1: before on your property where you bought the property and 528 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: it was dry and now there's a wetland there that 529 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: you didn't plan for, is it really a problem? And 530 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: I think that's what they're saying, is that seventy five 531 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 1: percent of the people who are asked that question will say, actually, 532 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 1: I guess it's not. I'm going to learn to love 533 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,119 Speaker 1: the beaver. I love beaver. 534 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. And you know, it really gets my dander up 535 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 2: when I this lake that I go to the Facebook page, 536 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,800 Speaker 2: there are people, you know, people post like, hey, it 537 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: looks like I have a beaver eating on my trees, 538 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 2: and you know these some of these people literally are like, yep, 539 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 2: I'll take care of that with my twelve gageah. And 540 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 2: it's just like, you don't. I've never understood the people 541 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 2: who want to move to nature to kill the Yeah. 542 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: I know, it's just it's. 543 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 2: Unnerving and I have seen some beaver damage and I 544 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,720 Speaker 2: love it. I welcome it, So yeah, you eat all 545 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 2: you want. 546 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: You would be one of the seventy five percent who 547 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: would say, like, no, it's no problem whatever. You probably 548 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: wouldn't even say it was an issue. You wouldn't even 549 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 1: be asked that question. You would just know from the 550 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: outset that it's not a problem. 551 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 2: I call that a beaver beavering. 552 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. 553 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 2: Beaver's going to beaver. 554 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: And so we know now that, like they are a 555 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: keystone species. They're so important that it's great. The impression 556 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: I'm getting is it's kind of like, no, it's not 557 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: really a problem. So you can't touch that beaver, don't 558 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 1: shoot that beaver. You're going to get in big trouble 559 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: depending on where you are for shooting a beaver when 560 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: it wasn't creating a problem, which I love because they 561 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: should be protected because again not just the fact that 562 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 1: they were almost hunted to extinction. They provide so many 563 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: really important services. I don't even know if we talked 564 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: about it. There are two others, Chuck, They prevent flooding. 565 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 1: Three others. They prevent flooding by slowing the flow of 566 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: water so things downstream from the dam don't get overwhelmed 567 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: as much. Right, the stuff in the dam helps recharge 568 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: aquifers below. Whereas before there's just a little stream trickling 569 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 1: over it was doing jack for the aquifer. Now the 570 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: aquifer is getting recharged on the daily. And then the 571 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: third one is they provide natural fire breaks, which helps 572 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: cane forest fires. Yeah. 573 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 2: I have a feeling when we're done, we're gonna be 574 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 2: mad because there were like three more things we didn't 575 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 2: think about. 576 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: That happens to me a lot and drives me nuts. 577 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 2: Here's some of the things that people do try and 578 00:30:36,880 --> 00:30:39,440 Speaker 2: do though to mitigate their what they perceive as their 579 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 2: beaver problems. 580 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 1: Yet Yeah, no, because they do create some problems as 581 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: far as human settlement is concerned. 582 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 2: They will use beaver pipes, and this is basically plastic 583 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 2: pipes that you put in a beaver dam to route 584 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 2: that water to where you want. It helps control the 585 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 2: flooding that beavers can cause. 586 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like so long that the beaver's like it 587 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:03,800 Speaker 1: doesn't think to go to the end of the pipes. 588 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: It just sees that there's something around its dam, and 589 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: it probably dams up around the pipe, but that still 590 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:10,320 Speaker 1: lets the flow of water go through. 591 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is kind of cool. They will build a 592 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 2: pre dam If they want beavers away from a certain 593 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 2: place and in a different place, they'll basically say, hey, 594 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 2: look over here, we got this fence. It's like a 595 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 2: foundation for your new home. Right, It's kind of you 596 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,719 Speaker 2: got ten percent of your work is already done. Why 597 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 2: don't you to start here. So they'll do that, Yeah, 598 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 2: the beaver says, hot dog. And then another thing is 599 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 2: to design that. Well, there's two times of fences. There's 600 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 2: the pre damn fence that encourages them to come, and 601 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 2: then there is another kind of fence to keep them 602 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 2: from building there in the first place. 603 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, those are called beaver deceivers, and they are. It's 604 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: just basically so like a culvert is a frequent place 605 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: that a beaver likes to dam up, and that's where 606 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: it causes a lot of damage because culverts are helped 607 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: are to help drain water, to keep roadways stable and 608 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Right, So you would just basically 609 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: put a fence radiating out from either side of the 610 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: culvert outward and an angle kind of like in a 611 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: V shape, and then those two fences are connected by 612 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: another fence between the two. So it's just basically like 613 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 1: a triangle that ends in the culvert. The key is 614 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,240 Speaker 1: if you make those fences long enough, I think twelve 615 00:32:24,240 --> 00:32:26,920 Speaker 1: feet minimum or something like that, the beaver is going 616 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: to be like nuts to this. This just isn't even 617 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 1: worth it. I'm not going to try to build a 618 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:32,959 Speaker 1: dam here, or if it does start to build a dam, 619 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: it's going to give up eventually, and your culvert is 620 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: saved without the beaver being hurt or harm. The beaver 621 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: just moves on to a different spot that it likes. 622 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 2: Right, And if you have a tree that you really 623 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 2: love that you see has some beaver activity, you can 624 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 2: wrap like chicken wire around the base of it if 625 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,479 Speaker 2: you want. There's also some special paint that you can 626 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 2: paint on the trunk that apparently beavers don't like. If 627 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 2: you want to protect a certain tree. 628 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:00,400 Speaker 1: It's like the nail biting stuff whole bit. 629 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 2: Oh my god, somebody wrote in about that. 630 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: What did they say? I didn't see, though. 631 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:07,479 Speaker 2: I think they were just asking, like what it was. 632 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 2: I'm sure they still have it, but I don't remember 633 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 2: what it was. 634 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,719 Speaker 1: I believe remember lee press on nails. I think they 635 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:15,400 Speaker 1: had a sideline in that stuff. 636 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 2: I'm sure it was. It's probably just like clear nail polish. Yeah, 637 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 2: but it tastes like garbage. Yeah, that tasted really bad. 638 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 2: Tasted like what what I thought, it was like hot? No, 639 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 2: it was bitter. 640 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:27,560 Speaker 1: Oh okay, yeah, I wouldn't like that at all. 641 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 2: That was very bitter. I don't think we mentioned the 642 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,600 Speaker 2: I mean we should talk a little bit. We talked 643 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 2: about the kits. But they do live in large groups. 644 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:41,760 Speaker 2: They're very social. They're called colonies, and they mate in 645 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 2: the winter during the first few months of the year. 646 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 2: The Eurasian beaver gestates for sixty to one hundred and 647 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 2: twenty eight days and have one to six little babies, 648 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: and the American beaver's gestate from one hundred to about 649 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 2: one hundred and five to one hundred and seven days, 650 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: again one to four little kits, and they are weaned 651 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 2: around two weeks of age, whereas the Eurasian beaver is 652 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 2: weaned it about six weeks of age. 653 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: Right, And so, Chuck, I saw that beavers tend to live, 654 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 1: like you said, they were monogamous typically. I said that 655 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 1: they live about ten to fifteen years in the wild, 656 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: which is so cute. But you can also build a 657 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,919 Speaker 1: pretty respectable dam in that time too. And I think 658 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: actually the largest dam that they've ever seen. Is they 659 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: think it is from many, many, many generations of beavers 660 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: staying and working on it in Alberta. 661 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:37,439 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, it's huge, and I guess everyone just got 662 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:38,440 Speaker 2: in on the party. 663 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,719 Speaker 1: Yeah. They think since the seventies that some beavers have 664 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,840 Speaker 1: been keeping it very appropriate. Yeah, pretty much. 665 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 2: And those little kids, by the way, can swim about 666 00:34:48,040 --> 00:34:51,000 Speaker 2: just one day after they're born, they're already swimming around. 667 00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:54,440 Speaker 1: Right, So, like we said, I think that they are. 668 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,879 Speaker 1: I think that they become sexually mature at age three. 669 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: On that time they're going to start producing something called 670 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 1: castorum or castorium, right, yeah. And castorium is like a 671 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 1: lot of people think that it's like the origin of 672 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:15,440 Speaker 1: castor oil. It's not correct. From the castor bean. I 673 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,479 Speaker 1: believe this stuff is like the opposite of castor oil. 674 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: It actually like tastes and smells like really good. 675 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean it's it's used. It's the FDA says 676 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 2: you can eat it. It's one of those grass remember, 677 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 2: generally recognized as safe ingredients. And the thing is that 678 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:34,800 Speaker 2: there's just not a lot of it. It's very tough 679 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 2: to and it's a lot of work to go out 680 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 2: there and try and extract this flavor ingredient from the 681 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:45,239 Speaker 2: beaver tail. I think it says two hundred about two 682 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 2: hundred and ninety two pounds annually total, so imagine it's expensive. 683 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: It is very expensive, and you can still find in 684 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:55,600 Speaker 1: some places. I think I saw a whiskey that uses 685 00:35:55,640 --> 00:36:03,320 Speaker 1: it Chanelle's perfume. What is it called kar de RUSSI. 686 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 1: I believe it still uses it, really, And it's a 687 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,720 Speaker 1: flavor ingredient too, because it's like you're saying, it's generally 688 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,640 Speaker 1: recognized as safe, but it also adds like a vanilla 689 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,279 Speaker 1: raspberry flavor. That's what it tastes like to humans. And 690 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: they think that there are some ice creams out there 691 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 1: that still may use that, like old timey ice creams 692 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 1: that use beaver castorium, like beaver scent. It's what it is. 693 00:36:27,800 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: It's beaver musk. Yeah, it just so happens that beaver 694 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: musk tastes like raspberry vanilla to humans. Yeah, but they 695 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,279 Speaker 1: were hunted for a really long time, which kind of 696 00:36:39,640 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 1: led to this one myth, didn't it. 697 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:43,160 Speaker 2: The testicle myth? 698 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: Yeah? 699 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, Up until about the eleven hundred's, people thought beavers 700 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 2: eight or bit off their own testicles, and apparently this 701 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 2: has its origins in ancient Egypt. In medieval Europe it 702 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 2: continued where I think the what they said was that 703 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,840 Speaker 2: beavers knew that hunters were coming after them because of 704 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:11,360 Speaker 2: that castorium which originated in their testicles. And none of 705 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,959 Speaker 2: this is true. I think their testicles they don't even 706 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 2: have hangers, right, No. 707 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: They don't, They're located inside them, which automatically disqualifies it. 708 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,719 Speaker 1: But also so the beavers were basically saying like, no, 709 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 1: you can't have my tastorium. I can't have it anymore either. 710 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,799 Speaker 1: I would rather bite off my own testicles than let 711 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 1: you have them. I guess maybe as a survival mechanism, 712 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 1: like they thought that the body would leave them alone 713 00:37:35,239 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: if they didn't have testicles. But maybe no, that's not 714 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 1: true at all. And then there's one other great fact, Chuck, 715 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: that I think you got to take to take us 716 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: out with. 717 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,840 Speaker 2: The Yeah, the pope in the sixteenth century said, you 718 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 2: know what, that tale is pretty scaly, and they sure 719 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,280 Speaker 2: are in the water a lot. So during the fasting days, 720 00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:58,440 Speaker 2: go ahead and eat that beaver. 721 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 1: It's close enough to yep, exactly. It qualifies as a fish. 722 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 1: So you could eat beaver back in the sixteenth century 723 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: thanks to the pope. 724 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 2: That's right, as far as I know, it teased early 725 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 2: if they were dangerous, they're not. Beavers are very nice 726 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,440 Speaker 2: little fellas and ladies. And if there is a beaver 727 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 2: that attacks somebody, it will make the news because it's 728 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:24,399 Speaker 2: so rare, and it probably means they're really sick. 729 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:29,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, they, like all mammals, can get rabies, but like porcupines. 730 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: I get the impression that that's one of the few 731 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:35,879 Speaker 1: diseases you can get from a beaver. The thing is 732 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:38,919 Speaker 1: is if they are rabid and they do charge at you, 733 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 1: they can do some serious damage with those teeth, Like 734 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: they can chew through three foot diameter trees, they can 735 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 1: bite through your skin, and so if you get too 736 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: close to a beaver, it can have bad effects. It's 737 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:53,120 Speaker 1: just like you said, it's extremely rare. But I saw 738 00:38:53,120 --> 00:38:56,440 Speaker 1: at least one guy's died from them in the last 739 00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:57,720 Speaker 1: decade or so, right. 740 00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 2: That was just bad luck. 741 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: So a guy, Tila Russ was trying to get a 742 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:04,360 Speaker 1: picture of a beaver and got too close and the 743 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,279 Speaker 1: thing bit him in his thigh and bit through his 744 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:09,920 Speaker 1: femoral artery and the guy bled to death from a 745 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:15,280 Speaker 1: beaver attack. He died from a beaver attack. His family 746 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:17,560 Speaker 1: has to live like that for the rest of their lives. 747 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:22,680 Speaker 1: Beaver attack, I don't know, and there's been some other 748 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:25,480 Speaker 1: attacks too, But yeah, I think they just kind of 749 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,360 Speaker 1: give beaver's bad name unwarrantedly. Don't you shot through the 750 00:39:29,480 --> 00:39:34,080 Speaker 1: flag and you're too blame you give beaver's a bad name. 751 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: Oh goodness, Todd, Well, I guess that's it for beaver's Huh, 752 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: that's it. I'm glad we finally got to do this one. 753 00:39:41,719 --> 00:39:42,840 Speaker 2: Leave them alone. 754 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, let them do their beaver thing. Beaver in, like 755 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: Chuck says, be's going to beaver if you want to 756 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 1: know more about beavers, So then by God, you go 757 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,000 Speaker 1: find some beavers and study them from afar because they 758 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: are nature's miracles. And since I said that, it's time 759 00:39:58,080 --> 00:39:58,959 Speaker 1: for listener male. 760 00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 2: All right, I'm gonna call this Brave Angels. Hey, guys, 761 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 2: listen to your episode on Swing States. You mentioned the 762 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,520 Speaker 2: dangerous level of polarization going on between reds and blues 763 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 2: in America. 764 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, thanks for reading this one. 765 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:18,360 Speaker 2: You're welcome. And I wanted to let you know that 766 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:20,399 Speaker 2: there's something we can do about it. There's a great 767 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 2: grassroots organization with a specific goal of depolarizing America called 768 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:28,840 Speaker 2: braver Angels, which organizes events to bring reds and blues 769 00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 2: together to have real, nuanced discussions about things they disagree 770 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:34,759 Speaker 2: about and help us understand and respect each other. 771 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:36,800 Speaker 1: That's great, It is great. 772 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,560 Speaker 2: That's quite yeah. I would love to peek in on 773 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 2: one of these meetings and maybe go to one. They're 774 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:45,120 Speaker 2: doing a lot of online events now due to COVID 775 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:48,520 Speaker 2: and among other things, just launched a campaign called Hold 776 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 2: America Together to prepare a response to potential election related 777 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 2: conflict in November. Could you please tell your listeners about 778 00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:58,600 Speaker 2: Braver Angels. Yes, and help keep our country together because 779 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,360 Speaker 2: America needs this. Love to all the reds and blues 780 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 2: out there, and you guys are great at what you do. 781 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,400 Speaker 2: Join the braver Angels. That is from Christa, and just 782 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:10,799 Speaker 2: go to braver Angels dot org. B A R A 783 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 2: v E r A n g e l s dot org. 784 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:17,880 Speaker 1: B R A v r A n g e l 785 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:18,680 Speaker 1: s dot org. 786 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:19,880 Speaker 2: That is correct. 787 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:23,759 Speaker 1: Okay, cool, that's fantastic. Thank you, Christa, and thanks to 788 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: all the braver angels out there who are trying to 789 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:29,560 Speaker 1: keep the country together because, like Christa said, we kind 790 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:30,439 Speaker 1: of need it right now. 791 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:33,800 Speaker 2: And it is brave, it's it's uh, it's daunting to 792 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:35,839 Speaker 2: step outside your echo chamber. 793 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: Oh man, it is. And it's just harder and harder 794 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:41,800 Speaker 1: because you know, the echoes have gotten stronger and stronger, 795 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:43,880 Speaker 1: so to hear something other than that, it's like just 796 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:46,359 Speaker 1: almost like makes your brain melt, you know. 797 00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:47,759 Speaker 2: Pretty neat all. 798 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:50,319 Speaker 1: Right, Uh, Well, if you want to get in touch 799 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 1: with us to let us know about some group or 800 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:56,440 Speaker 1: service the country or the world is in dire need of, 801 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:58,759 Speaker 1: we want to hear about it, you can send us 802 00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:05,160 Speaker 1: an email to stuff podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 803 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:08,200 Speaker 2: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 804 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 2: more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 805 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.