1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of My 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: I'm Josh Clark, and there's Charles W. Chuck Bryan over there, 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: and there's Jerry somewhere, and it says stuff you should Know, 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: the Orange Incisors Edition. I thought you're gonna make a 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: bad naked gun joke. No, No, it did run through 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: my head over and over and over and over and 8 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: over and over and over again. Though. It's hard though 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: when you're at our age. Yeah, and you saw those movies. Yeah, 10 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: dumb joke though, Uh yeah, well, I mean it's a 11 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: naked gun joke for pizza. Come on. So this kind 12 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: of ties in I think a little bit with our 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: porcupine episode. Uh and that beavers are you know, they're 14 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: porcupine esk in some ways. I think it ties in 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: even more to our Wetlands episode, which gave to the 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: idea for this episode. You know, yeah, absolutely, I mean 17 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: I'm pretty excited about this one. I think beavers are 18 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: about as great as it gets because they're so studious, 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: and they also bend the world to their will. They 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: shape things the way that they want them, and I 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: like that about them. Yeah, and I also love their 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 1: familial aspects. Yeah, which we'll we'll get to all this stuff. 23 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: But what we're talking about is is the largest rodent 24 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: in North America, which really demeans them, I guess. But yes, 25 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: rodents such a it's not a bad word. There's so 26 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: many great rodents who beavers, porcupines, squirrels. I know you 27 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: have a thing with squirrels, but well, I know I 28 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: like squirrels now, Momo and I uh and it knew 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: me sometimes comes with us to chase squirrels across the 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: street in the park um and feed them peanuts. We 31 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: give them peanuts is like to kind of buy them 32 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: off after Mo chases them up at but the squirrels 33 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: across the way will actually come to you and eat 34 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: peanuts out of your hand. So I'm I'm kind of 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: on squirrels now. Momo loves squirrels, chipmunks, mice, chipmunks too. Yeah. 36 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: Rodents are okay, Chuck. I think there are fewer terrible rodents, 37 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: and the only ones I can think of that are 38 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: terrible are those uh scary New York City sewer rats. Yeah, okay, 39 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: so rodents are all right up with rodents rabbits, and 40 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: I don't think they're rodents. They are he like a hamster, Sure, hamsters. 41 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if rabbits are rodents. Are they It 42 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: makes sense that they would be. But it's what rodent 43 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: dot com says. Okay, well, who am I going to 44 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 1: disagree with that? But we're not talking about rabbits. We're 45 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: not talking about sewer rats. We're talking about beavers. And again, 46 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: beavers are amazing, amazing animals, and like you said, you know, 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: it's kind of related to porcupines and that there's um 48 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: what you could call Old World and New World beavers, 49 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: but there's really just two species and one is found 50 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: in North America and one is found in Eurasia. And 51 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 1: it's easy, peasy, no fuss, no must these are the 52 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 1: beavers that are alive on the planet. Yeah, so we've 53 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: got the American beaver. They weigh between fifteen and sixty 54 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: five pounds, which is very large. Uh. If if you've 55 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: ever seen a large beaver in the wild, it's um, 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: it's not scary because you know, and we'll get to 57 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: whether or not they're they're dangerous, they're really not. Um 58 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: but it's it's such a large thing that you're like, wow, 59 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: they're bigger than I thought. Usually has has run through 60 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: my head when I see a beaver. Yeah, I mean 61 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: sixty or thirty No, yeah, sixty five pounds is about 62 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: thirty ms. It's a big beaver. It is a big beaver. 63 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: And I had to convert to kilograms for at least 64 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: our friends in Canada because beavers their national emblem. They 65 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: have beaver on their nickel, which is amazing. Like this 66 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: just makes me love Canada all the much more, you know. 67 00:03:56,600 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: So for that sixty pounds, you're gonna be uh a 68 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: couple of feet long long. Um, that's without the tail. 69 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: You don't count the tail when you're measuring a beaver. Uh, 70 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: the tail will talk a little bit more about it. 71 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: But there anywhere from seven to twelve benches. If you're Eurasian, 72 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: you're about the same size. Mate. You can be a 73 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: little bit smaller bigger, Well, you can be a little 74 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: smaller on the I think the range is bigger. So 75 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: you can be down in the twenties poundage wise, but 76 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: up to the seventies poundage wise. Uh, and you you're 77 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: probably a little bit longer, and your skull and your 78 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: tail are going to be narrower, or your tails narrower 79 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: and your skull is smaller. So um, yeah, but that 80 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: tail is what everybody understands when they see a beaver. 81 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,559 Speaker 1: Just like with a porcupine and its coils, a beaver 82 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: in its tail is they're just synonymous. Everybody recognizes a 83 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: beaver because of his tail, and also the tails helped 84 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: make it cute. Even though if you zoomed in and 85 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: took a really close look at the tail, you'd be 86 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: like gross. You think, yeah, it's scaly, it's got sparse, 87 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: coarse hair associated with it. It looks like a black 88 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: jack that some old timey like roughs would beat you 89 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: up with. Um, And yet it's one of the most 90 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: amazing appendages any animal has as far. It's like a 91 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: Swiss army knife foot for tails. Yeah, they're very useful 92 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,960 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways. They obviously if if they're swimming, 93 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: and beaver's, by the way, you can swim five to 94 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: seven miles an hour. They have a little web feet 95 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: they have they can close their ear holes and their 96 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: nose holes, and they can roll their film over their 97 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: eyeballs nictitating membrane. Yeah, it's amazing. Um. So if they're 98 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: going to be swimming, then that tail is gonna be 99 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: acting as a rudder um and as a propeller um. 100 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,839 Speaker 1: It's also if they're on land, it's gonna act as 101 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: a little kickstand at times. Yeah, when they stand up 102 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: on their back legs, they use their tail to kind 103 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: of lean against short balance. It's a big one for sure. 104 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: They also, and this is a sure sign that you 105 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: have frightened slash upset a beaver. Um. They will slap 106 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: the water with their tail in part to frighten you away, 107 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: to say like, don't mess with me, um, but also 108 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: to warn other beavers because um, like you were saying, 109 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: they're familial, they are actually fairly social animals and they 110 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: live in family units, so they would want to warn, like, 111 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: you know, the wife and the kids back at the lodge. Yeah. 112 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: And here's the thing. I spent a lot of time 113 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 1: at a lake here in Georgia, and I have heard 114 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,919 Speaker 1: something which I thought was a beaver tail smash, but 115 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: I'm not sure because I didn't see it. I have 116 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: seen evidence of beaver eating tree stuff. Oh yeah, yeah, 117 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: and which we'll get to. And one day when I 118 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: was in the lake, I saw a mammal's head coming 119 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: toward me, and I don't know if it was We 120 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 1: also have river otter, so I don't know if it 121 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: was an otter or a beaver um, but either way 122 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: it was, it was a large head. And even though 123 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: I know that they weren't gonna come after me, when 124 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: that thing pops under the water, You're just like, where 125 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: where's he going, what's he doing? Where is he? Is 126 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: he coming at me or not? Were you swimming in 127 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: the lake at the time. Yeah, I'll swimming in the 128 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: lake and I saw this large mammal had, you know, 129 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: dumped under and if it was, I'm not sure how 130 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: long beavers can hold their Fodders can hold their breasths, 131 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,280 Speaker 1: but beavers can hold their breath for about fifteen minutes, 132 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: which is pretty remarkable. I thought. I think it's remarkable too. 133 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: I mean, it really just goes to show like just 134 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: how adapted they are for life in the water. And 135 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: they are mammals, so they have long so they need 136 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: to breathe air outside of the water. But yeah, the 137 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: fact that they can hold their breath for fifteen minutes, 138 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 1: that they have nictitating membranes that cover their eyes like 139 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: little goggles so they can see and work underwater. UM. 140 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: They spend a significant amount of their time underwater. In fact, 141 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: they're most protected in water. That's where they can move 142 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: the fastest. They can swim pretty fast, way faster than 143 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: they can waddle land. UM, and a lot of their 144 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: predators won't necessarily come into, especially deep water after them. 145 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: So when they're in the water, they're at there, they're 146 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: they're they're in their happy place most And imagine when 147 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: they dive for fifteen minutes and are swimming around, Uh, 148 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: what do you think those fish think, Oh, here comes 149 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: of beaver. I mean did they did they know? Or 150 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: they just like, what in the world is that big 151 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: hairy thing? Um? I would guess that they I would 152 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 1: like to think they know. I like to think of 153 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: communities of animals or ecosystems just they know each other. Yea, 154 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: they know each other, they know each other's foibles. They've 155 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: come to accept one another. You know, they have their things, 156 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: they always kind of you know, they in the end 157 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: that when somebody, you know, like a human comes in 158 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: and tries to screw things up, they'll all band together 159 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: and you know, raise money for the community center so 160 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: that the developer can't buy it. So if you are 161 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: North American, be where you can live pretty much anywhere 162 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,719 Speaker 1: in North America except for the desert. Because you want 163 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: water around, um, you're probably gonna be near pond or 164 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: lake or marsh or swamp or river. Um. Your Eurasian beavers, 165 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: I used to live all over Europe and Asia, but 166 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: they were hunted, over hunted because at one point in time, 167 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: wearing beaver pelts and beaver hats was like really high fashion. 168 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: So now they're only found in Germany, France, Poland, Scandinavia, 169 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 1: Southern Scandinavia, and Central Russia. Yeah, and a lot of 170 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:38,079 Speaker 1: those are because they were reintroduced to the areas, Like 171 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: I believe Germany had to have their population reintroduced because 172 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: they were hunted to extinction. And how many beavers used 173 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: to be here, like four hundred million. That's the estimate, 174 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: is that in North America prior to Colombian contact that 175 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: they were there were about four hundred million beavers and 176 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: they were hunted down to near extinction within the hundreds 177 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: of thousands from what I saw. UM. And we're luckily 178 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,199 Speaker 1: held back from the brink. And when I say luckily, 179 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: I don't just mean for the beavers, but I mean 180 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: for the planet as far as North America is concerned. 181 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: Because one of the things that we are still learning 182 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: but have come to realize, is that the beavers are 183 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: probably the most useful species on the planet. Um, because 184 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,319 Speaker 1: they're one of the few species that alters their environment 185 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: as radically as they do. Yeah, what are they called? 186 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: They are a keystone species, stone species because when they 187 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: are present, biodiversity thrived, and when beavers are removed from 188 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: an area, biodiversity suffers. The presence of beavers makes life 189 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 1: better and richer for entirely other animals and species, just 190 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: because of what they do and how they do it. 191 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: All Right, that's a great place to take a break, 192 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: And I say, when we come back, we talk about 193 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: the two fundamental full crown on which beaver life is based, 194 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: the dam and the lodge. Okay, stop stop, stop stop, 195 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: all right, we're back. And there are a couple of things. 196 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: You know you've heard busy as a beaver. Uh, it's 197 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: it's I don't know if that's proven, but I think 198 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: it is almost universally agreed that that phrase came about 199 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: because beavers are in fact very busy and they work, work, 200 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: work all day long, building their homes and building dams. 201 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: Their homes are called lodges. And you've probably seen, if 202 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 1: you've ever been hiking and stuff in America, you've probably 203 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: seen a beaver lodge by a river or lake. It's 204 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 1: a little little dome out of sticks and grasses and 205 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: moss and mud. Maybe you thought a local which had 206 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: built it. Yeah, it does look like a little Uh 207 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: what do you call Which's houses? Which is house? I 208 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: think there's a cottage. Oh sure, I think there's a 209 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: different name. But which is house? Was a name for this? 210 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: I thought so? No, I don't know, I don't know. 211 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: I think so which house? I'm maybe I'm thinking of 212 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,720 Speaker 1: Covin's house the Day which, No, there's a word. We 213 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: just I just watched the Which the movie again. I 214 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: think there's a word for it. Man, I love that. 215 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: That might be my favorite movie. We did a movie 216 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: Crush Round Table on that. By the way, it was 217 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 1: really good. It is a gooding. That's the guy who 218 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: did the Lighthouse, isn't it YEA God? Bless that? Man. 219 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: I can't wait to see his spiking movie too. Oh, man, 220 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: I can't imagine. Uh So the beaver lodge is um, 221 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: you know, about eight ft wide, a few feet high. 222 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: They're on the banks of these ponds are on lake shores. Uh. 223 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: They have this is one of my favorite parts. Many 224 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,199 Speaker 1: of them have a little underwater backed or so it's 225 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: like sort of a ski in chalet if you're snow skiing. Yeah, 226 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,719 Speaker 1: which makes sense because again, they spend so much time 227 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 1: in the water, but also protects them from terrestrial predators 228 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:12,559 Speaker 1: because they can get into the water and escape when 229 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: a predators like at their door. Yeah. And uh, you 230 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: know this is their nocturnal they don't hibernate, but most 231 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: of this action is going on at night. Um, and 232 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: everyone pitches in the whole family. I don't think we 233 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: said yet. They live with their children until they're about 234 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: too And in a beaver lodge you might find a 235 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: mom and a dad who are monogamous mates for life, 236 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: and they might have their three two year old almost 237 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: two year old children, and then they might have their 238 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 1: little grand babies. Yeah, because when they have their their babies, 239 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,680 Speaker 1: which are called kits, which admittedly is not as cute 240 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: award as porcupets, but they're cute. But dude, just baby 241 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: press pause right now. Everybody and go look up some 242 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: baby beaver pictures, little tails. They're cute, so they have 243 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,679 Speaker 1: baby beavers in One of the reasons why they're so 244 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: cute is because they stick around for so long, or 245 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 1: they they stick around so long because they're so cute, 246 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: that's what I mean to say. Um, But they do. 247 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: They stay as part of the family unit and help 248 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: like work on the family lodge and dam um until 249 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: about two when they wander off, and then at three 250 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: they start to mate. But they build their own lodge 251 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: at age two, and from what I've read, it's usually 252 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,080 Speaker 1: very clumsy. It's not in the best place necessarily, and 253 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: so they kind of learned as they go. But they 254 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 1: also learned from their family unit first, which I think 255 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: is super cute. It is um, I think we should 256 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: talk about damn though. I Mean, the lodges are are 257 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: cool and it's a great place to live if you're 258 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: a beaver, But the dams is where they really uh 259 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: that's where they get their their shining moment as a species. 260 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 1: That really helps out the environment because they help create 261 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: these wetlands, don't they. Yeah, So, so a beaver will 262 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: move into an area that's dry as a bone um 263 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: that's maybe crop land, that's maybe timberland. Um that is 264 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: not at all flooded. There's no pond or wetland or 265 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: anything like that. And they say, this can be better. 266 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: And so they find like a source of moving water 267 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: like a stream or um a brook, maybe a creek, 268 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: maybe a creek something like that, and they stop it up. 269 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: They they build a dam and they build this damp 270 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 1: so that the water backs up behind it and floods 271 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: this area and turns it into a wetland. And they 272 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 1: do this not to irk humans or just for fun. 273 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: They do it because they're altering the ecosystem to better 274 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: suit themselves. Like I said, they survive much better when 275 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: they're in the water, They move faster, they can work faster. 276 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: So they actually make this ecosystem into an aquatic ecosystem 277 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: where before there wasn't an aquatic ecosystem. And they do 278 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: it all by by building this dam. And the way 279 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: that they build dams is magnificent in and itself. Yeah, 280 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: so you know you've got your damn basse the foundation 281 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: basically where uh you're gonna use mud and gravel that 282 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: you get from the stream, and you kind of work 283 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: together as a family and with your tail, and they're 284 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: pushing I say, we were beavers all of a sudden, 285 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: and you're pushing this mud and gravel up from the 286 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: bottom of the stream. And if let's say it's a 287 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,680 Speaker 1: place where the creek is running a little bit too 288 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: fast and there's too much flow, uh, they're gonna say, 289 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: you know what, We're gonna take these sticks. We're gonna 290 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,720 Speaker 1: pile uh, these things up all along the bottom until 291 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 1: basically it's like it's like building from the ground up 292 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,880 Speaker 1: until they're strong enough to to stay in place. Right. 293 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: But they're so good at using their hands, and they're 294 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: so strong. You said, you know, sixties sixty five pounds 295 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: are about thirty. They're mostly muscle too. They're really strong 296 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: little little rodents, especially for being like herbivores. You know, 297 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: they're like those vegan body builders. Um, they can take 298 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: they'll take sticks and like plant them in the bottom 299 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: of this stream or whatever and start forming a lattice 300 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 1: work that they we've in between and fill up with 301 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: mud to really stop up some you know, fast moving current. Um. 302 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: That that that like, that's the level of manipulation that 303 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: they're they're doing. They're they're building a dam that they eventually, 304 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,880 Speaker 1: um successfully back up the flow of water from yeah, 305 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 1: which is I've tried to do that before and it's 306 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 1: hard to do. Um My buddy Scotty and I who 307 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: you know, we went camping once in California and it 308 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: was when I was young and in the film industry, 309 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: so there's a lot of time between jobs, and we 310 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: just decided to stay and keep staying, and I think 311 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: we ended up staying for like eleven or twelve days, 312 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: and uh, we wanted to build a waterfall next to 313 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: our campsite, so it sounded better. So we spent days 314 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: and days with sticks and big rocks and trying to 315 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,399 Speaker 1: reroute and change the river. And it was some of 316 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: the hardest work I've ever done. Imagine doing that at 317 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 1: like forty eight inches long and only sixty pounds. So 318 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: they're they're not only building this thing up, they got 319 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: their little kits and their children helping, like bringing up 320 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 1: sticks and mud, saying paw mas is okay, and they say, yeah, 321 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: added to the pile. And then once they're done, they 322 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:27,120 Speaker 1: they're like there's a periodic like inspections that go on 323 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 1: because they got to make sure that it stays strong 324 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: because that current just keeps going and it's very easy 325 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,680 Speaker 1: to wiggle the right stick loose and all of a 326 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,880 Speaker 1: sudden it starts crumbling down. So they basically inspect these 327 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: things every so often and check it for leaks and 328 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,120 Speaker 1: bring in mud and patch it up just like it's 329 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: like a human might do. Oh, I saw that they 330 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: do daily maintenance on it. That um. One way to 331 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: tell whether beavers are in the area is to to 332 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: find their damn, make it like a little minor hole 333 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: in it, and then go back and look the next day, 334 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: and if it's patched up, the beavers are around there 335 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:02,200 Speaker 1: like and and giving you the middle finger right exactly 336 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: like okay, yeah we're here, you've figured it out, Please 337 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,040 Speaker 1: leave our damn alone. But yeah, these things are like 338 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: water tight for the most part, or they they allow 339 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: very little water through, or I guess from what I 340 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: can tell, as much water as the beaver wants through. 341 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: Like they're very willfully deliberately constructed structures that will turn 342 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: a dry area into a wetland. And when that happens. 343 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 1: One of the things that they used to build this 344 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,399 Speaker 1: stuff with their trees around the area, and they can 345 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: they use their teeth. Those really really sharp, strong teeth 346 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: that I said are like kind of orange ish at 347 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: the very beginning of the episode, and they're very they're 348 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: orange because they have so much iron in them, which 349 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,239 Speaker 1: actually gives them that much more strength. Yeah, they're up 350 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: to an inch long. They're super strong. They they actually 351 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: sharpen as they gnaw on trees, so it's not like 352 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,199 Speaker 1: it'll dull their teeth out. It actually sharpens them. And 353 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 1: the other thing they're doing is they're eating that tree. 354 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: They're one of the few mammals that are maybe the 355 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: only mammal that can actually digest cellulose. Well, porcupines can too, remember, yeah, 356 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: they can. They can digest cellulus because they probably have 357 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,880 Speaker 1: a very similar kind of bacteria that helps helps digest 358 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: it for them. But they digest a lot of the 359 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: cellulus that they eat, and it's really hard to break 360 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: down normally for mammals though. Yeah, but like you know, 361 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: you said, they're essentially creating these wetlands, they're preventing erosion. Uh, 362 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: they are helping to purify the water. Oh, let's let's 363 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 1: talk about what the dams can do. Okay, Chuck. I 364 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: mean it's amazing there. It's it's like a little environmental 365 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: coalition that goes into the woods to make things better. Yeah. 366 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: So I think in the Wetlands episode, I said something 367 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: like like a beaver creates the equivalent of some like 368 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,479 Speaker 1: a five million dollar wastewater treatment plan or something like that. 369 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: I could not find that again to save my life, 370 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 1: but I think that was roughly it. Um They they 371 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 1: create this this strung sure that creates the artificial wetland, 372 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: and in doing so, it filters the water because it 373 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: slows the water down so much that the stuff can 374 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: trickle down to the bottom. It turns a normal terrestrial 375 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: piece of land into a wetland, so aquatic plants come. 376 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 1: And they've also found out that not only does it 377 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: filter water of like sediment and particles, it also is 378 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: capable of handling farm runoff fertilizer, which is really pernicious 379 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: because you know, when all that fertilizer makes its way 380 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: into two watersheds and wetlands, it creates algae blooms which 381 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: suck up all the oxygen and kill off a bunch 382 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: of fish, right, which is a big problem. They figured 383 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: out that beaver dams actually work against that by by 384 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: um fixing nitrogen excess nitrogen from fertilizer. It prevents it 385 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: from flowing. Bacteria chomps down on it and releases it 386 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: as nitrogen gas into the atmosphere, and the stuff the 387 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: bacteria doesn't eat floats down to the bottom gets eaten 388 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,159 Speaker 1: up by aquatic plants, which when they die, lock it 389 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,639 Speaker 1: into the sediment. So this this farm runoff that's a 390 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: huge problem as it stands, is actually mitigated by beaver 391 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:12,120 Speaker 1: damps they've recently found out. Yeah, and talk about just 392 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: what kind of um impact it has on who lives there. 393 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: I mean, it's basically like an invitation to nature that says, hey, 394 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: we got a good scene going over here. If you're 395 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,640 Speaker 1: an invertebrate that doesn't feel like they have a home, 396 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: you're welcome here. Um. If you're a new species of 397 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: bird that didn't think that you would flourish here, time 398 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: to change that attitude. If you're a duck or a goose, 399 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,399 Speaker 1: you can nest on top of our lodge because our 400 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: lodge is super warm because it's full of beavers, and 401 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,439 Speaker 1: you can nest on top of there and stay warm. 402 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 1: And especially if it's out in the middle of a 403 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: pond or something, you're gonna be safer. What else, um, 404 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: If you are a woodpecker and you're like, all these 405 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: trees are too healthy, there's no insects in them, well 406 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: just wait because flooded timberland doesn't stand up very well 407 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: to standing water, and so some of those trees die 408 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: off and they get They provide housing for insects, which 409 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: in turn provides food for the woodpeckers. What if your moose, 410 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: let's say, good for you, right, No, you're gonna love 411 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: this if you're a moose, So buckle up, um, because 412 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 1: the beaver has turned it into a wetland. It's now 413 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 1: an aquatic environment, and moose like aquatic plants that grow 414 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: on the edge of like marshy areas. So these plants 415 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: that weren't there before are suddenly there for the moose. 416 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: And it gets even better because when the beaver family 417 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: finally like is you know, moves moves away or they 418 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:42,400 Speaker 1: die off and the whole thing gets abandoned. The eventually 419 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: the dam's going to break without regular maintenance, and when 420 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: it does, the place is going to go back to 421 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 1: how it was before, but it's going to go back 422 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: to better than it was before because think about all 423 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: that nitrogen that was fixed in the sediment, all the 424 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: erosion that was prevented, and all of a sudden you 425 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: have a lush, beautiful at that deer can come eat on. Yeah, 426 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: it's pretty amazing. Like they they help out all these 427 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: animals and introduce all these new animals that can live together, 428 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,439 Speaker 1: and then once it's done, it becomes a flowery meadow 429 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: for deer. They leave it better than it was when 430 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: they first got there. Amazing, It is amazing. The problem 431 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: is is that humans frequently have much different plans for 432 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,000 Speaker 1: those same areas and be going to foul them. I say, 433 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: we take a break and we come back and talk 434 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: about that after a break, Like I just said, what 435 00:24:35,160 --> 00:25:04,120 Speaker 1: do you think? Answer now? Yes? Okay, stop alright. So, um, 436 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: we love beaver. You love beaver. Everyone out there listening. 437 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: There's a lot of people who don't love beaver. Beaver 438 00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: it is now. And the reason why is because if 439 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:22,199 Speaker 1: you own like a stand of timber, your plan is 440 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 1: to eventually cut that timber down and sell it for 441 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,359 Speaker 1: wood planks or books. You know, like, um, stuff you 442 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:31,680 Speaker 1: should know calling an incomplete compendium of mostly interesting things 443 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: available everywhere you get books to preorder. Now, Um, there's 444 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: things you can do with trees that you grow. And 445 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: if beavers move into your area and they build the damn, 446 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,479 Speaker 1: those damns are effective. This isn't like a little puddle 447 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: we're talking about. They can create basically basically like lakes, ponds, 448 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: like enormous wetlands. And when you have standing water over timberland, 449 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: those trees are not They're not aquatic trees that you're 450 00:25:57,240 --> 00:26:00,720 Speaker 1: growing there, so they actually die again. Remember they die 451 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:03,640 Speaker 1: off in bugs moving and woodpeckers eat the bugs. Well, 452 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 1: if you're trying to make money off of those trees, 453 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: you don't really want the beavers to do that to 454 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: your timberland. No, And I think how many tens of 455 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: millions of dollars. I think it was like twenty million 456 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: dollars a year or something. It was I think more 457 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: than that because I think I saw Alabama alone suffered 458 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,400 Speaker 1: like fourteen million dollars in laws from timberland, just Alabama 459 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:28,000 Speaker 1: from beaver uh damage. And not only that, it'll it'll 460 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,480 Speaker 1: um flooding for crops um. It can make um what 461 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 1: was ordinarily a very stable bridge or road now unstable 462 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: and cause damage to roads and stuff like that from 463 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: like saturating the soil that was holding it up just 464 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 1: fine before. Yeah, the good news is um. Back in 465 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: the old days, they would just you know, they would 466 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 1: just cull as many beavers as they could to get 467 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: rid of them. These days, and this is kind of 468 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:55,840 Speaker 1: a weird stat but it says se of of beaver 469 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: human conflict can be resolved without trapping killing the beavers. 470 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, I take that as in they will somehow 471 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: move them along in a way that's humane. Well, I 472 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: don't know if that's even the case. I think that 473 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: more often than not, the first question is is the 474 00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: beaver really causing a problem or is it that there's 475 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: beavers and they've created this this wetland and it wasn't 476 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 1: there before, and you're taking it as a problem. And 477 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 1: that's the thing that I'm seeing that it seems to 478 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: be like the new paradigm for viewing beavers as far 479 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: as their relationship to humans. It's like, really, what's what's 480 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: the problem. If it's yes, they're damaging crop land, Okay, 481 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: that's a problem. If they're killing timberland, that's a problem. 482 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: If they've um, if they're washing out a road, that's 483 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: a problem. But if they just created a wetland that 484 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: wasn't there before in your property where you bought the 485 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: property and it was dry, and now there's a wetland 486 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: there that you didn't plan for. Is it really a problem. 487 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: And I think that's what they're saying, is that the 488 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: people who are asked that question will say, actually, I 489 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: guess it's not. I'm gonna learn to love the beaver. 490 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:07,959 Speaker 1: I love beaver. Yeah, And you know, it really gets 491 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: my dander up when I uh this lake that I 492 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: go to their the Facebook page, there are people, you know, 493 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 1: people post like, hey, it looks like I have a 494 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 1: beaver eating on my trees, and you know these some 495 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,199 Speaker 1: of these people literally are like, yep, I'll take care 496 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: of that with my twelve gauge. And it's just like, 497 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,879 Speaker 1: you don't. I've never understood the people who want to 498 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,919 Speaker 1: move to nature to kill the nature. Yeah. I know, 499 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: it's just it's unnerving. And uh, I have seen some 500 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: beaver damage and I love it. I welcome it, So yeah, 501 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: you eat all you want. You would be one of 502 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: the scent who would say like, no, no, it's no 503 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: problem whatever. You probably wouldn't even say it was an issue. No, 504 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: you wouldn't even be asked that question, you would just 505 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 1: know from the outset that it's not a problem. I 506 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 1: call that a beaver beavering. Yeah, that's beaver, is gonna beaver. 507 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: And so we know now that like they are a 508 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 1: keystone species. They're so important. It's it's great. The impression 509 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: I'm getting is it's kind of like, no, it's not 510 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: really a problem. So you can't touch that beaver, don't 511 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: shoot that beaver. You're going to get in big trouble 512 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: depending on where you are for shooting a beaver when 513 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:16,040 Speaker 1: it wasn't creating a problem, which I love because they 514 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: should be protected because again not not just the fact 515 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: that they were almost hunted to extinction. They provide so 516 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: many really important services. Um, I don't even know if 517 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: we talked about it. There were two others, Chuck, they 518 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 1: prevent flooding. Three others. They prevent flooding by slowing the 519 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 1: flow of water so things downstream from the dam don't 520 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: get overwhelmed as much. The stuff in the dam helps 521 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,720 Speaker 1: recharge aquifers below, whereas before it just a little stream 522 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: trickling over it was doing jack for the aquifer. Now 523 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: the aquifer is getting recharged on the daily and then 524 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:52,400 Speaker 1: the third one is they provide natural fire breaks, which 525 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: helps contain forest fires. And the feeling when we're done, 526 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna be mad because there were like three more 527 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,360 Speaker 1: things we didn't think about. That happens to me a 528 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: lot and drives me nuts. Uh. Here's some of the 529 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 1: things that people do try and do though to mitigate 530 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: their what they perceive as their beaver problems. Yet. Yeah, no, 531 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: because they do create some problems as far as human 532 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 1: settlement is concerned. They will use beaver pipes. Uh. And 533 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:22,239 Speaker 1: this is basically plastic pipes that you put in a 534 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 1: beaver dam to route that water to where you want. 535 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: It helps control the flooding that beavers can cause. Yeah, 536 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: it's like so long that the beavers, like it doesn't 537 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: think to go to the end of the pipes. It 538 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: just sees that there's something around it's damn it. It It 539 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,880 Speaker 1: probably damns up around the pipe, but that still lets 540 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:41,320 Speaker 1: the flow of water go through. Yeah, this is kind 541 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: of cool. They will build a pre damn if they 542 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 1: want beavers away from a certain place and in a 543 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 1: different place. They'll basically say, hey, look over here, we 544 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: got this fence. It's like a foundation for your new home. 545 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:56,880 Speaker 1: It's kind of you've got ten percent of your work 546 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: has already done, want you to start here, So they'll 547 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:04,120 Speaker 1: do that. Yeah, the beaver says, hot dog. Uh. And 548 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: then another thing is to design the well. There's two 549 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:10,480 Speaker 1: times offenses. There's the pre damn fence that encourages them 550 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: to come, and then there is another kind of fence, 551 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: uh to keep them from building there in the first place. Yeah. 552 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 1: Those are called beaver deceivers um, and they are it's 553 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,800 Speaker 1: just basically so like a culvert is a frequent place 554 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: that a beaver likes too damn up, and that's where 555 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: it causes a lot of damage because colverts are helped 556 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,479 Speaker 1: are meant to help drain water to keep roadways stable 557 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,959 Speaker 1: in that kind of thing. Right, So you would just 558 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: basically put a fence radiating out from either side of 559 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: the culvert outward um and an angle kind of like 560 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: in a V shape, and then those two um fences 561 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: are connected by another fence between the two. So it's 562 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: just basically like a triangle that ends in the culvert. 563 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: The key is if you make those fences long enough 564 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,200 Speaker 1: I think twelve feet minimum or something like that, the 565 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: beaver is gonna be like nuts to this. This just 566 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: isn't even worth it. I'm not gonna try to build 567 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: a damn here, or if it does start to build 568 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,120 Speaker 1: a damn, it's going to give up eventually. Um, and 569 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: your culvert is saved without the beaver being hurt or harm. 570 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: The beaver just moves on to a different spot that 571 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: it likes, right. Uh. And if you have a tree 572 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: that you really love that you see has some beaver activity, 573 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 1: you can wrap like chicken wire around the base of 574 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: it if you want. Um. There's also some special paint 575 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: that you can paint on the trunk that apparently beavers 576 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,440 Speaker 1: don't like if you want to protect a certain tree. Um. 577 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 1: It's like the nail biting stuff all bit. Oh my god, 578 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: somebody wrote in about that. What they say? I didn't 579 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:37,000 Speaker 1: see that. I think they were just asking, like what 580 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: it was. I'm sure they still have it, but um, 581 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: I don't remember what it was. I believe remember Lee 582 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: press on nails. I think they had a sideline in 583 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,040 Speaker 1: that stuff. I'm sure it was. It's probably just like 584 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 1: clear nail polish. Yeah, but tastes like garbage. Yeah, that 585 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 1: tasted really bad. Tasted like what what I thought it was, 586 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: like hot no, it was bitter. Okay, yeah, I wouldn't 587 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:59,320 Speaker 1: like that at all, and that was very bitter. Um. 588 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 1: I don't think we mentioned the uh. I mean we 589 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 1: should talk a little bit. We talked about the kits um. 590 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 1: But they do live in large groups, are very social. 591 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: They're called colonies, and they mate in the winter during 592 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: the first few months of the year. Um. The Eurasian 593 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,800 Speaker 1: beaver just states for sixty two d twenty eight days 594 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: and have one to six little babies, and the American 595 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,520 Speaker 1: beavers just eight from a hundred to about a hundred 596 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: five to a hundred seven days. Again one to four 597 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: little kids, and they are weaned around two weeks of age, 598 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: whereas the Eurasian beavers weened it about six weeks of age. Right. 599 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: And so, Chuck, I saw that beavers tend to live, 600 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: like you said, they were monogamous typically. I said that 601 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: they live about ten to fifteen years in the wild, 602 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 1: which is so cute. But you can also build a 603 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 1: pretty pretty respectable dam in that time too. And I 604 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 1: think actually the largest damn that they've ever seen, um 605 00:33:56,240 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: is they think it is from many, many, many generations 606 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: of beavers staying and working on in Alberta, right, Yeah, 607 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: it's huge, and I guess everyone just got in on 608 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:11,080 Speaker 1: the party. Yeah, they think since the seventies that some 609 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:15,239 Speaker 1: beavers have been keeping it appropriate. Yeah, pretty much. And 610 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 1: those little kids, by the way, you can swim about 611 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: just one day after they're born, they're already swimming around, right, So, 612 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 1: like we said, I think that they are um. I 613 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: think that they become sexually mature at age three, and 614 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:33,280 Speaker 1: around that time they're going to start producing something called 615 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: castorum or castoreum, right. Um. And castoreum is like a 616 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:42,160 Speaker 1: lot of people think that it's like the origin of 617 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 1: castor oil. It's not correct from the castor bean. I 618 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:48,439 Speaker 1: believe this stuff is like the opposite of castro oil. 619 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: Actually like tastes and smells like really good. Yeah. I 620 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:55,399 Speaker 1: mean it's it's used. It's the FDA says you can 621 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: eat it. It's one of those grass remember, generally recognized 622 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: as safe in green ants. And the thing is that 623 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: there's just not a lot of it. It's it's it's 624 00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: very tough too, and it's a lot of work to 625 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,760 Speaker 1: go out there and try and extract this um flavor 626 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: ingredient from the beaver tail. Right. I think it says 627 00:35:14,239 --> 00:35:20,280 Speaker 1: two d about two pounds annually total, so imagine it's expensive. 628 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: It is very expensive, and you can still find in 629 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 1: some places. I think I saw a whiskey that uses it. 630 00:35:26,040 --> 00:35:31,880 Speaker 1: Um Chanel's perfume. Um. Oh, what is it called core 631 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: de Roussie. I believe it still uses it. And it's 632 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: a flavor ingredient too, because it's um, Like you're saying, 633 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: it's generally recognized as safe, but it also adds like 634 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:47,720 Speaker 1: a vanilla raspberry flavor. That's what it tastes like to humans. 635 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 1: And they think that there are some ice creams out 636 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 1: there that still may use that, like old timey ice 637 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:57,319 Speaker 1: creams that use beaver cast storium, like beaver scent. It's 638 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: what it is. It's beaver musk. It just so happen 639 00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: that beaver musk tastes like raspberry vanilla to to humans. Yeah, 640 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: but they were hunted for a really long time, which 641 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:12,120 Speaker 1: kind of led to this one myth, didn't it. Uh, 642 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: the testicle myth? Yeah, yeah, Up until about the eleven hundreds, 643 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,719 Speaker 1: people thought beavers eight or bid off their own testicles. 644 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: And apparently this has its origins in ancient Egypt. Uh, 645 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 1: in medieval Europe, it continued, where I think the what 646 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 1: they said was that beavers knew that hunters were coming 647 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: after them because of that castoreum which originated in their testicles. 648 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,319 Speaker 1: And um, none of this is true. I think their 649 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:46,520 Speaker 1: testicles they don't even have hangars, right, No, they don't. 650 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: They're located inside them, which automatically disqualifies it. But also 651 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 1: so the beavers were basically saying like, no, you can't 652 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 1: have my castorium. I can't have it anymore either. I 653 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,840 Speaker 1: would rather bite off my own testicles than let you 654 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 1: have them. I guess maybe as a survival mechanism, like 655 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,400 Speaker 1: they thought that they would leave them alone if they 656 00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: didn't have testicles. But maybe, no, that's not true at all. Um. 657 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 1: And then there's one other great fact, Chuck, that I 658 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 1: think you got to take to take us out with 659 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: the Yeah, the pope in the sixteenth century said, you 660 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: know what, that's that tail is pretty scaly, and they 661 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 1: sure are in the water a lot. So um, during 662 00:37:26,239 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: the fasting days, go ahead and eat that beaver. It's 663 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,439 Speaker 1: close enough to a fish, yep, exactly qualifies as a fish. 664 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: So you could eat beaver back in the sixteenth century, 665 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:39,759 Speaker 1: thanks to the Pope that's right, as far as I know, 666 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 1: it teased early if they were dangerous, they're they're not. 667 00:37:42,040 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 1: Beavers are very nice little fellas and ladies. Uh. And 668 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:50,919 Speaker 1: if there is a beaver that attacks somebody, it will 669 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:53,280 Speaker 1: make the news because it's so rare, and it probably 670 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,839 Speaker 1: means they're really sick. Yeah, They, like all mammals, can 671 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:00,480 Speaker 1: get rabies um, but like porcupines. I get the impression 672 00:38:00,480 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 1: that that's one of the few um diseases you can 673 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:06,040 Speaker 1: get from a beaver. Um. The thing is is, if 674 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 1: they are rabid and they do charge at you, they 675 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:11,839 Speaker 1: can do some serious damage with those teeth, Like they 676 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 1: can chew through three foot diameter trees, they can bite 677 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,160 Speaker 1: through your skin, and so if you get too close 678 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: to a beaver, it can have bad effects. It's just 679 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 1: like you said, it's extremely rare. But I saw at 680 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:26,360 Speaker 1: least one guy's died from from them in the last 681 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,360 Speaker 1: decade or so. Right, luck So, a guy in Belarus 682 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,279 Speaker 1: was trying to get a picture of a beaver and 683 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: got too close, and the thing bit him in his 684 00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: thigh and bit through his femoral artery, and the guy 685 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: bled to death from a beaver attack. He died from 686 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 1: a beaver attack. His family has to live like that 687 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: for the rest of their lives. Beaver attack. I don't know. Um, 688 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: And there's been some other texts too, but yeah, I 689 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: think they just kind of give beaver's bad name unwarrantedly. 690 00:38:57,200 --> 00:39:01,240 Speaker 1: Don't you shot through the leg in your to blame 691 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:07,359 Speaker 1: you give beavers the bad name? Oh goodness, Todd Um, Well, 692 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,799 Speaker 1: I guess that's it for beavers. Huh, that's it. I'm 693 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,279 Speaker 1: glad we finally got to view this one. Leave them alone. Yeah, 694 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: let them do their beaver thing. Beaver in like Chuck says, 695 00:39:16,480 --> 00:39:19,879 Speaker 1: beaver is gonna beaver. If you want to know more 696 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 1: about beavers, and then by God, you go find some 697 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:26,360 Speaker 1: beavers and study them from afar because they are nature's miracles. 698 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:28,879 Speaker 1: And since I said that, it's time for a listener mail, 699 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: all right, I'm gonna call this Brave Angels. Hey, guys, 700 00:39:37,239 --> 00:39:39,719 Speaker 1: listen to your episode on Swing States. You mentioned the 701 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,440 Speaker 1: dangerous level of polarization going on between reds and blues 702 00:39:43,440 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 1: in America. Oh yeah, thanks for reading this one. You're welcome, 703 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:48,719 Speaker 1: and I wanted to let you know that there's something 704 00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: we can do about it. There's a great grassroots organization 705 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:56,080 Speaker 1: with a specific goal of depolarizing America called braver Angels, 706 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,480 Speaker 1: which organizes events to bring reds and blues together to 707 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:02,920 Speaker 1: have real, nuanced discussions about things they disagree about and 708 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 1: help us understand and respect each other's great. It is great. 709 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:09,920 Speaker 1: I mean it's quite a service. Yeah. I would love 710 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: to peek in on one of these meetings and maybe 711 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: go to one. Yeah, they're doing a lot of online 712 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,520 Speaker 1: events and now due to COVID and among other things, 713 00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:20,280 Speaker 1: just launched a campaign called Hold America Together to prepare 714 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:24,200 Speaker 1: a response to potential election related conflict in November. Could 715 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,239 Speaker 1: you please tell your listeners about Braver Angels and help 716 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:30,360 Speaker 1: keep our country together because American needs this. Love to 717 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: all the reds and blues out there, and you guys 718 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: are great at what you do. Join the braver Angels. 719 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: That is from Christa and just go to braver Angels 720 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: dot org. B A R A v r A n 721 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:45,560 Speaker 1: g e l s dot org. B r A v 722 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 1: r A n g e l s dot org. That 723 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 1: is correct. Okay, cool um, that's fantastic. Thank you, Krista, 724 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:55,399 Speaker 1: and thanks to all the braver Angels out there who 725 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:58,760 Speaker 1: are trying to keep the country together because, like Krista said, 726 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: we kind of need it now. And it is brave, 727 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,480 Speaker 1: it's it's uh, it's daunting to step outside your echo chamber, 728 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:08,440 Speaker 1: oh man, it is. And it's just harder and harder 729 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,720 Speaker 1: because you know, the echoes have gotten stronger and stronger. 730 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:13,799 Speaker 1: So to hear something other than that, it's like just 731 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:18,560 Speaker 1: almost like make your brain melt, you know, pretty neat all. Right, Well, 732 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: if you want to get in touch with us to 733 00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:24,600 Speaker 1: let us know about some group or service the country 734 00:41:24,719 --> 00:41:26,719 Speaker 1: or the world is in dire need of we want 735 00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,280 Speaker 1: to hear about it, you can send us an email 736 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 1: to Stuffed podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you 737 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: Should Know is a production of iHeart Radios. How stuff works. 738 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:40,480 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my heart Radio is at the 739 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 740 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.