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beaver
-- nocturnal, twig, deciduous, canal, keen, conservationist, lodge, shirub, exterminate
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apprentice ⪢⪢
The young act as apprentice builders learning the tricks of the trade.
15765
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bark ⪢⪢
They gnaw through bark to eat the sugary layer underneath.
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dredge ⪢⪢
They dredge mud from the pond bottom to seal the dam. Each pond trap several inches of sediment every year. So there's plenty of it.
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fell ⪢⪢
Felling trees with your teeth takes great strength, skill and patience.
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incisor ⪢⪢
The beaver's incisors are strengthen with iron which makes them orange. They grow continuously and even self sharpen.
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interlock ⪢⪢
The whole family works together carefully interlocking the timber.
16398
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keystone species ⪢⪢
Beavers are keystone species wielding an oversized influence on their surroundings. They build dams which filter water, flood rivers and create crucial wetlands.
￫ wield
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lodge ⪢⪢
Beavers are easily recognized by their broad flat tails and are well known for the dams and lodges they construct.
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log ⪢⪢
The pond makes it easier to move around the heavy logs they need to build the dams. Out of the water it's a struggle.
16396
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nutrient ⪢⪢
In the Rocky Mountains beaver dams slowly filter billions of tons of water. The ponds build up soil and nutients and help prevent floods and droughts.
11754
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rodent ⪢⪢
The largest rodents in North America and the second largest rodents in the world, beavers are semi-aquatic mammals.
15779
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safe haven
And they cut back trees and bushes opening up forest canopies and promoting the growth of heavy underbrush which provides a safe haven for many other animals.
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semi-aquatic ⪢⪢
Semi-aquatic means that they live in the water part of the time and on land part of the time.
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slice ⪢⪢
One technique is to slice halfway through and let the wind do the rest.
16395
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