Beaver teeth

When I drove out yesterday afternoon, on the spur of the moment, to Maclean Pond, (off Elbow Fall's Trail, Kananaskis), I came across this beaver skull at the edge of the forest. My first reaction was: "I wonder what LARGE animal maybe ate the Beaver" - I never like to think of LARGE animals when I am walking in forests on my own, LOL! However, maybe this rodent just died from sickness or old age. I took a few photos of it and left it in place - wildlife can get calcium from bones left on the ground, so it is important to leave them where they are found.

"Beavers' front teeth are very special - they never stop growing! They must chew to trim their teeth to keep them from getting too long. The more they use their teeth, the sharper they become. Furry lips close behind their front teeth to keep water out when they go underwater. They have 20 teeth in total with chisel-shaped ends.

Beavers' favorite food is tree bark! In spring, they like to eat juicy shrubs and tree buds. During the fall, they eat more bark than usual to put on more fat for the winter. In fall, they cut down many trees and gnaw them into smaller pieces. These are stored in big underwater piles near their homes. It's like having a pantry! When the ice freezes over the top of their pond, beavers dive down to their food stored underwater. If they run out of food, they just start eating bits of their house!" From ed.fnal.gov/entry_exhibits/beaver/beaver.html.