Talk:Beaver

Link in German to Biber
I was surprised that the English Beaver article did not have a German equivalent. When I looked at the German Biber page, I saw that it links to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castoridae instead. I would think that Beaver = Biber. For Castoridae a German equivalent would need to be created in German. --Bernburgerin (talk) 16:25, 24 March 2020 (UTC)
 * I came here to comment on exactly that point, namely to provide a link to the Biber article on WikipediaDE. RobbieIanMorrison (talk) 10:01, 19 June 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 April 2020
In the section on Species it says "The North American and Eurasian beavers are the only extant members of the family Castoridae, contained within the monotypic genus, Castor."

A monotypic genus is a genus that contains ONE species. That's what mono means.

Maybe the intended author intended to state that Castoridae is a monotypic family, which would be true if Castor was the only genus in the family, but that is only true if you only consider extant genera as there are other extinct genera.

Please remove the "monotypic" adjective from before the word genus. That adjective really does not belong anywhere in this article. Pipfrosch (talk) 07:26, 27 April 2020 (UTC)


 * ✅ Good point. SchreiberBike &#124; ⌨ 13:21, 27 April 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 October 2020
Hi. I note the article on beavers says their guard hairs are "5 - 6 meters (16 - 20 ft) long." I think you mean centimeters, or roughly 2 inches long. 41.65.35.162 (talk) 07:38, 14 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Done, thank you – Thjarkur (talk) 09:31, 14 October 2020 (UTC)

Next time
and, I will add a bit more for next time but it is unfair to expect me in get discuss things like hunting quotas which are more important for the articles on the individual species not this one. I had already mentioned how beavers have gotten protections which should give an indication on the state of hunting. Also, I already have written about beaver evolution and extinct relatives. Am I really suppose to write more on extinct species? And as I explained over and over again, if their was more information on Eurasian beaver hunting, I would have added it. LittleJerry (talk) 14:55, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * My oppose was mostly based on the fact that, IMO, this wasn't ready for an FAC nom. For one thing, if an article has to be listed at GOCE, that generally means the prose isn't FAC-ready.  When every time I read through it, I spot multiple more prose issues, it makes it hard to look through for other issues.  It's also problematic that when certain points are brought up, the offending area is removed.  For instance, when I brought up that the 7.5 mya separation point is a rough estimate, and that it should be clarified as such, it was just removed (maybe you misunderstood what I wanted done).  When I brought up the issue with the conversion template for celsius to fahrenheit, the exact numbers were removed, when they're clearly relevant; what should have happened is a manual conversion, which isn't particularly complex math, and which I would have been willing to do if it came to that. It's hard to engage on what issues are known/not known (I'm okay if the information truly isn't available) when the prose isn't quite ready for a FAC nomination and other issues are just being removed from the article, rather than tweaked.   - Maybe this makes me a jerk for opposing this, and if its not an actionable oppose, then just ignore my comments here.  If this was a bad oppose as not actionable, or if I was just a jerk, tell me, and I'll quit reviewing things at FAC. Hog Farm Bacon 15:15, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Hog Farm, your reviewing is excellent. Not-a-jerk. I regret that I haven't been able to review YOUR FACs (and others) because of time spent on ill-prepared noms, which is a poor use of reviewer time.  We all need to make better use of peer review.  If this article had been better prepared, you two could have had a short discussion about whether to include more on hunting-- easily resolved-- but when lost amid of sea of other issues, becomes difficult.  Best regards, Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  15:22, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * For my own part, I am glad to see a copyedit is underway, concerned about the comprehensive issues raised by Dunkleosteus77 and myself, and expect to see a more compelling lead written prior to a return to FAC, which I look forward to, as these broad topics are important !! LittleJerry, please keep in mind that if you satisfy reviewers earlier than the two-week wait period, you can always ask a Coord for permission to re-nominate earlier.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  15:25, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I removed the numbers because you stated "Second, it's very unclear what 0.5 °C is suppose to mean here. It reads like it's suppose to mean that 0.5 °C is the temperature the water stays at, which seems implausible. Climactic conditions around the beaver's range means it isn't going to stick at 32.9 degrees Fahrenheit all winter". So I removed that number. I'm ready not experienced with converting numbers on temperature so I had not idea what you were talking about. LittleJerry (talk) 15:46, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * My question was more on the line of the phrasing. What I'm pretty sure you meant is that the water was, on average, 0.5 °C cooler within the dam, but the way it was written, the article was saying that the water was always 0.5°C in the dam.  It's hard to communicate on issues when there's enough copy edit issues it impairs the reviewer's understanding of what you're trying to say. Another issue is that the conversion templates only do a set conversion of a fixed temperature, so if you put 2°C in the conversion template, it will tell you what that exact temperature is in F.  To get 2 individual relative degrees, you'll probably have to convert by hand, as I'm not aware of the convert template being set up like that.  Thankfully, the C to F conversion is pretty simple, and can be done with any calculator that can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Hog Farm Bacon 15:52, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I also got completely lost in that same passage. Anyway, unwatching for now; please ping me if ready to go back to FAC.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  16:30, 22 October 2020 (UTC)


 * For the decline of the Eurasian beaver, this says "Demands for its pelt, meat and the medicinal properties of its castoreum, combined with habitat loss, resulted in its disappearance from most parts of Europe by  the end of  the nineteenth century" and provides several further sources if you want to go even further in depth on the subject (like, specifically what does habitat loss entail?)   User:Dunkleosteus77 &#124;push to talk 16:06, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * The article already states that information. And again, beavers are not one species, they are two species and details about conservation, hunting, ect, are better suited for the species articles. For zebra, I tried to be as general as possible in regards to conservation and exploitation and it passed with no problem. LittleJerry (talk) 16:53, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I should also point out that the paragraphs on meat and castoreum use are more bias towards the Eurasian beaver so there is a balance. LittleJerry (talk) 17:02, 22 October 2020 (UTC)

I don't get what you mean by the lede. I've always written them that way in other FACs and have had no problem. LittleJerry (talk) 22:02, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * It is best to fine tune leads when the content in the body is nailed down, so we aren’t chasing our tails. Pls ping me back in when the body is settled.  Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  22:34, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * . The article has now been copyedited and I added in more bits of information. LittleJerry (talk) 23:32, 22 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I am looking at the Ecology section (which I originally had problems with), and still seeing lots of prose issues. I will dig in tomorrow after my regular FAC run and start a list; I suggest holding off on the lead. Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  00:33, 23 October 2020 (UTC)

Continuing
I have not looked beyond the "Ecology" section, as there are still issues there. (A "true" copyedit always involves a lot of back-and-forth between the copyeditor and the writer, to make sure intended meaning is understood; I did not see that happen here, so am not surprised there are still issues.) I don't think we can move on to fine tuning the lead until the article has had a thorough prose review. I recommend first putting the article into Word for spell check. And then, print the article out, and sit down to read a hard copy with a red pen and highlighter handy. It can be too hard to overlook issues on the screen when you are too close to the text. As examples of what I see in the Ecology section only: That's where I stopped. Please print it out, and give it a thorough going over. Best regards, Sandy Georgia (Talk)  21:59, 24 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) they require a yearly supply that is sufficient for swimming, diving, floating logs, protection of lodge entrances and safety from land-dwelling predators  What does this mean?  "Yearly supply" sounds like they can get a once-a-year order from The Culligan Man.  Can they go nine months without water?  Do they need water only once a year?  Undeniably, this is not the intended meaning here.  I wonder if the word "year-round" was intended ?
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) With streams, beavers prefer to use slow-moving water, typically with a gradient or steepness of one percent, though they have been recorded using streams with gradients as high as 15%.  I can't even figure out what this is saying.  Use "slow-moving water" for what?  Beavers prefer slow-moving water then inhabit streams?
 * Changed to "slower". Streams and rivers can move slowly. That's why there's a gradient measurement system. LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) Wider streams around 8 m (26 ft) are used more than narrower ones in the 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) range. This is just odd because beavers surely don't go around with tape measures, and there is a big gap inbetween those two numbers, so I can't tell what this sentence wants to say.  Most streams inhabited by beavers are more than 26 feet wide, while those under 5 feet are almost never inhabited by beavers ???
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:42, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) Dispersing beavers will use certain habitats temporarily before arriving at their final destinations, particularly in spring. I can't figure out what this is saying; don't know where to start.  What are dispersing beavers?  They arrive in spring?  They "disperse" in spring?
 * They usually disperse in spring. LittleJerry (talk) 01:17, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) Why are their diseases included in the same paragraph as their diet; is there a connection I am missing?
 * Diet (what they eat) leads to predation (what eats them) and then to other forms of mortality. The sentences are too short to be seperated. LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) They can fall trees in an average of 1.24 minutes, but this can depend on the circumference of the trunk. Those 25 cm (9.8 in) and larger require over four hours.  Excess precision, and very labored.  Depending on the circumference of the trunk, beavers can fall a tree in about one-and-a-half minutes; trees as large as 25 cm can require over four hours.
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) The flow about their different abodes is all wrong.  For example, we encounter, oddly, this sentence in the middle of other stuff ... Lake-dwelling beavers do not need to build dams. but we aren't told at that point then, where do they live?  Only later do we find that they have other kinds of abodes. Much later we find there are multiple types of lodges.  The entire organization here is off.  First, beavers use shelters for x.  Next, they build three kinds of houses.  Next what those are.  Next how they are built.  Next, what beavers in lakes do ... etc. Air vents are mentioned twice.
 * I made some rearrangements. However, some of this is nitpicky. In particular, the first sentence mentions what dams are for (impounding flowing water) and so it is natural to then mention that lake beaver don't make then (since they don't live in flowing water) There is no indication that they live in dams or that dams are an "abode". LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) This precision surprises: These are aligned in the direction of the water's flow at an angle of 30 degrees. Always 30 degrees?  Average 30 degrees?  Between 35 and 45 degrees?  I find it surprising that beavers always hit a specific number.
 * That's what the source says. LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) Why is the fish "trout" linked, but salmon is not?  And why not links on these ... including total suspended solids, total nitrogen, phosphates, carbon and silicates
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:47, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) Grammatical error: their dams has been shown to have a positive effect on trout by increasing their numbers, their size, or both.
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:47, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * This seems rather bizarre. I've done a ton of FAs and have never had to "print out and look over with red ink". LittleJerry (talk) 00:41, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Then perhaps they aren't truly FAs, as there are considerable prose problems here, and fixing the sample I mentioned is not sufficient; independent eyes are needed to review all the text, and one way to find such problems is to print out and read your article. Perhaps  would go through-- this might be within their territory. I have fixed the errors you introduced to the formatting (see edit history). Sandy Georgia  (Talk)  22:44, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Maybe a peer review would be in order? FunkMonk (talk) 23:33, 25 October 2020 (UTC)
 * I'm happy to take a look either here or at peer review if that's preferred. I was just about to return to reviewing at TFA after a long absence since I will soon be unleashing my first FAC for a year. Jimfbleak - talk to me?  11:11, 26 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Listed for PR. LittleJerry (talk) 12:43, 26 October 2020 (UTC)

You're welcome
I routinely ensure there are blank lines (completely invisible to the reader and therefore irrelevant to MOS) immediately before and after each heading because they might be useful at some point to some editor – or so I've been told, via talk page and email. I also routinely ensure there's a blank line immediately before the first word of every paragraph (visible to the reader but barely noticeable – again, per request). If there's a policy or guideline indicating they should be removed, or consensus that I should stop, please share.--Bofuses (talk) 13:46, 27 October 2020 (UTC)p.s. Notice the absence of the word between in this context.

Semi-protected edit request on 28 January 2021
I have found some information that appears to be incorrect abour beavers. I would greatly appreciate the ability to make minor changes to this page. 86.8.85.239 (talk) 01:34, 28 January 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: this is not the right page to request additional user rights. You may reopen this request with the specific changes to be made and someone will add them for you, or if you have an account, you can wait until you are autoconfirmed and edit the page yourself. RandomCanadian (talk / contribs)  02:59, 28 January 2021 (UTC)

Ref error
Müller-Schwarze & Sun 2003, pp. 48–50. does not link any citation


 * , I formatted it like the others so I don't know what's wrong. LittleJerry (talk) 17:09, 19 February 2021 (UTC)

It does look like you cited more academically focused books, which seems to be what sank the last FAC. (t &#183; c)  buidhe  00:05, 16 February 2021 (UTC)
 * It was because of overciting of two books. LittleJerry (talk) 17:09, 19 February 2021 (UTC)

Hood and Bayley study data incorrectly used in "Environment Effects" section
1. I am troubled by these two sentences in the first paragraph of the Environmental Effects section and I suggest the first should be removed and the second corrected:

''In one study, beavers were associated with a 9-fold increase in open-water areas. When beavers returned to an area, 60% more open-water was available during droughts than in previous years when they were absent.''

It is written as if the two sentences are based on the same Hood and Bayley study, but a nine-fold increase would be a 900% increase, not a 60% increase.

2. The 9-fold increase stated in the article seems to be derived from this sentence of the Hood and Bayley study's abstract:

In addition, during wet and dry years, the presence of beaver was associated with a 9-fold increase in open water area when compared to a period when beaver were absent from those same sites.

but I think this sentence of the abstract is incorrect. It does not properly summarize the study. That sentence in the abstract appears to be based on this sentence in the study's Discussion section (the only place in the study itself where a nine-fold increase is mentioned):

''It is possible that because of lag effects from abandoned dams and channels, inactive ponds in 1996 and 2001 retained significantly more open water than inactive ponds in both 1948 and 1950. This 9-fold difference existed despite the fact that 1996 and 2001 had less combined total precipitation than 1950 and 1948.''

which in turn is a discussion of the Group 2 ponds in Figure 7 of the study; but the Group 2 ponds (the "inactive ponds" cited above) never had beavers in them, as far as the authors know. Hood and Bayley are trying to account for why the recent beaverless ponds in 1996 and 2001 had nine times as much open water as the earlier beaverless ponds in 1950 and 1948. They are speculating ("It is possible...") that the beaverless ponds in the recent period (when beavers were widespread in the vicinity) actually did have beavers in them at some unknown time, and that those long-gone beavers left abandoned dams and channels which accounted for that otherwise inexplicable open water in the recent beaverless ponds. But Hood and Bayley tell us this is just their speculation -- they can't back it up.

So I suggest that this sentence:

In one study, beavers were associated with a 9-fold increase in open-water areas.

be removed from the Wikipedia article.

3. The second sentence in the Wikipedia article extract above:

When beavers returned to an area, 60% more open-water was available during droughts than in previous years when they were absent.

is also troubling. It seems to be based on this sentence from the Hood and Bayley study:

In 1950, when beaver were not present, wetlands held 61% less open water (228.7 ha) than in 2002 when beaver were well established (593.90 ha, Fig. 5).

The Hood and Bayley sentence can be rephrased as saying that the difference between the 2002 (593.90 ha) and 1950 (228.7 ha) open water values is

593.90 ha - 228.7 ha = 365.2 ha 365.2 ha is 61% of 593.90 ha (365.2 / 593.9 = 0.61 = 61%)

The corresponding Wikipedia sentence is not exactly equivalent to the Hood and Bayley sentence. Hood and Bayley are talking about a "% less than" relation and the Wikipedia article is talking about a "% more than" relation. The Wikipedia sentence should read:

When beavers returned to an area, 160% more open-water was available during droughts than in previous years when they were absent.

That is, the difference between the 2002 and 1950 open water values is

593.90 ha - 228.7 ha = 365.2 ha 365.2 ha is 160% of 228.7 ha (365.2 / 228.7 = 1.597 = 160%)

Dieter.Meinertzhagen (talk) 03:03, 23 February 2021 (UTC)


 * That's what I get for copying (and altering) text from the Environmental impacts of beavers article, which I did not write. I changed it. LittleJerry (talk) 19:45, 25 February 2021 (UTC)

Another use for the Beaver's Tail
Hello, I don't have edit rights. I would like to add another "use" to the list of uses beaver's have for their tail. It never seems to get mentioned that beavers will use their tails by raising them out of the water as a counter weight to balance against the heavy load they are carrying while swimming. It becomes a lever assisting the forces from the paddling back legs, with the buoyancy of the beavers body as the fulcrum, to lift the load up front. It might be a rock but in this reference it is mud and vegetation. I finally got this image at the start of a trail camera video, though I had seen it a few times before in person, but you can watch beavers for years and never see it. They don't always assess their carrying capacity to allow for tail rudder functions:) Aenglish444 (talk) 20:57, 28 August 2021 (UTC)


 * Source not reliable. 174.84.33.235 (talk) 18:56, 17 September 2021 (UTC)

Food anchor
(Continuing from ) There was nothing wrong with your placement. The name was unusual however: It should be. I think that should be added. Invasive Spices (talk) 14 January 2022 (UTC)
 * WHY should it be added? What is the purpose of this anchor? – BhagyaMani (talk) 04:51, 15 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Usually redirects. I use the same way Apokrif is using it. I suggest reading Template:Anchor. Invasive Spices (talk) 15 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I know that usually for redirects. But where + on which other pages is this particular anchor supposed to be used? – BhagyaMani (talk) 15:58, 15 January 2022 (UTC)
 * On fr:Viande de castor. Apokrif (talk) 14:13, 3 February 2022 (UTC)
 * I don't know if there is any rule for naming anchors, but I fear that the short name #Food could lead to a wrong link if a "Food" section was created. Apokrif (talk) 14:11, 3 February 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 August 2022
Change: The incisors are cover in thick enamel is very thick and colored orange or reddish-brown due to the presence of iron compounds. To: The incisors are covered in a thick enamel and colored orange or reddish-brown due to the presence of iron compounds. Melodic Mallard (talk) 19:30, 16 August 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ MadGuy7023 (talk) 22:00, 16 August 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 16 August 2022 (2)
Change: Beavers are protected from predators when in their lodges and prefer to saty near water. To: Beavers are protected from predators when in their lodges and prefer to stay near water. Melodic Mallard (talk) 19:35, 16 August 2022 (UTC)
 * ✅ MadGuy7023 (talk) 22:00, 16 August 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 December 2022
Change: The lodge is mostly sealed with mud expect for a hole at the top which acts as an air vent. To: The lodge is mostly sealed with mud except for a hole at the top which acts as an air vent. Waspin666 (talk) 12:16, 4 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Pictogram voting wait.svg Already done PlanetJuice (talk • contribs) 17:10, 4 December 2022 (UTC)

Problems with the lede
The lede says that beavers are native to North America, but later it talks about Eurasian beavers, even showing a picture from a medieval bestiary showing one. This needs to be corrected or, if beavers reached Eurasia via the Bering Land Bridge, it needs to be explained. JDZeff (talk) 19:46, 5 December 2022 (UTC)


 * It says Northern Hemisphere, not North America. - UtherSRG (talk) 20:20, 5 December 2022 (UTC)
 * Also, please use the template and edit request format. - UtherSRG (talk) 20:21, 5 December 2022 (UTC)

Copy editing notes
Hey there, I'm copy editing this article as part of the GOCE March 2023 Drive. Pinging @LittleJerry, who made the request.
 * Thank you. LittleJerry (talk) 01:05, 6 March 2023 (UTC)

Firstly, sorry I forgot the edit summary! It would've just been "copy edit", but I jumped the gun on the publish button.

I'll be leaving any notes I have here. There will be some general notes, but most will be related to changes I wanted to have someone double-check before making.
 * Not copy editing, just a point of possible improvement: In the "Etymology" section, the origins of the species names (canadensis and fiber) are not included. I notice there's some info in the following section, but there could be a bit more detail for etymology (e.g., why the names were chosen).
 * Clarify "it" here—likely either Castoroidinae or Dipoides belongs here, but I didn't feel comfortable making the edit.
 * Not important. This about the genus not the species. LittleJerry (talk) 00:59, 6 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Fossils of one genus in Castoroidinae, Dipoides, have been found near piles of chewed wood, though it appears to have been an inferior woodcutter compared to Castor.
 * Its clear that its about about Dipoides. LittleJerry (talk) 00:59, 6 March 2023 (UTC)


 * Not sure here, but maybe "the ancestor" → "an ancestor"?
 * Fixed. LittleJerry (talk) 00:59, 6 March 2023 (UTC)
 * The fossil species C. praefiber was likely the ancestor of the Eurasian beaver.


 * I didn't make this change as I don't have a ton of experience with formatting images on Wikipedia, and it's really not critical. I think it would be nice to have the photo captioned Eurasian beaver swimming near the paragraph containing this sentence:
 * The eyes, ears and nostrils are arranged so that they can remain above water while the rest of the body is submerged.

I'll likely have one or two more of these posts as I continue to work through the article. Thanks, and let me know if there are any issues! Wracking 💬 08:05, 5 March 2023 (UTC)

Copy editing notes 2
(pinging @LittleJerry) This should be the last of my notes! I'll do a final read-through tomorrow, then check it off my list. Of course, let me know if there are any issues.

Just one issue I wanted to point out here.


 * While cursorily checking the reference on this sentence to see if I could reword, I noticed that its claim doesn't quite line up with the source. This sentence seems to claim that castoreum itself is similar to aspirin, when the source just says that both are derived from salicylic acid.
 * Castoreum's properties have been credited to the accumulation of salicylic acid from willow and aspen trees in the beaver's diet, and has a physiological effect very similar to aspirin.
 * The source, from what I could garner from the Google Books preview, says, "Although castoreum has gone out of fashion as a pharmaceutical, we now know it contains significant quantities of salicylic acid, the same substance that gives aspirin its potency and helps treat various skin conditions."

Wracking 💬 07:09, 6 March 2023 (UTC)


 * It states that they both get their potency from salicylic acid. I don't see the problem. But I added another cite which explicitly states that are "similar". LittleJerry (talk) 14:29, 6 March 2023 (UTC)
 * Awesome, thanks for adding that other source. It all looks good to me! I'm gonna check this one off my list, but let me know if there are any problems. Wracking  💬 17:57, 6 March 2023 (UTC)

Old map
Seems like the map is quite old. Seems like much have changed and there are much more beavers in Europe and Russia Mammal Review, 2020 doi (financed by Russia so might be exaggerating some numbers I guess, but I think maps should be fine). There should at least be a dot in Scotland which seemed to have reintroduced some beavers at least back in 2009 IWT, 2020-12-18. Nux (talk) 20:17, 28 March 2023 (UTC)


 * If you can get all the proper sources together, I'd recommend reaching out to the Graphics Lab to get a new map made. Wracking  💬 22:23, 28 March 2023 (UTC)
 * In the meantime, I have changed the update template you left, to better reflect what might need updating. The article itself doesn't need a broad warning. Wracking  💬 22:28, 28 March 2023 (UTC)

How large is a beaver's head?
In the first sentence, I am told that beavers are large. In the fourth sentence, I learn that they have large heads. I realize that these are rodents, but elephants are also large and have large heads. Same with hippopotami. If you're a wren, shoebills have large heads. If you're a hummingbird, wrens have large heads.

In Characteristics and adaptations, I learn they are the second-largest living rodent, and then I am given some body dimensions and weights. The first sentence of the second paragraph begins, "Beavers have large skulls..." The rest of that paragraph is a thesis on the beaver's teeth and its ability to prevent itself from drowning. No more information about the skull or head size.

So here's my question: how large is a beaver's head, and why is the size of its head important enough to mention, but not important enough to warrant further discussion? Do beavers claim territory and mates through tête-à-tête combat, and thus large heads provide warring beavers with an evolutionary advantage? Or perhaps there's a correlation between brain size and head size, allowing beavers to outsmart the average bear. 76.14.122.5 (talk) 03:19, 7 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Large head for large teeth (and associated muscles) for chewing big things. You're right, the article doesn't really cover that clearly. Crescent77 (talk) 08:07, 7 April 2023 (UTC)
 * "Beavers have large skulls and powerful chewing muscles" There's your clue. LittleJerry (talk) 11:59, 8 April 2023 (UTC)

Culture Section
I was surprised that the Culture section doesn't mention anything about MIT. The Beaver is officially the MIT mascot animal and the famous MIT "Brass Rat" class ring prominently features a beaver on the front. 27.142.113.192 (talk) 07:50, 7 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Feel free to find a source and add the info. Wikipedia is participant friendly(generally). Crescent77 (talk) 08:08, 7 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Its not mentioned in general sources. We don't need to cherrypick sources for cultural references. LittleJerry (talk) 16:07, 7 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Proved me wrong, didn't you. ;) Crescent77 (talk) 17:46, 7 April 2023 (UTC)

You could just reference the existing Wikipedia article MIT class ring which is very well-sourced and covers both of these points with original references. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 27.142.113.192 (talk) 00:32, 10 April 2023 (UTC)


 * See WP:Wikipedia is not a reliable source. Crescent77 (talk) 03:37, 10 April 2023 (UTC)

History of Tim, the MIT Mascot --68.132.58.170 (talk) 05:55, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

Extant vs non-extinct.
I noticed the intro says "non-extinct", when the word for this is "extant". Is "non-extinct" the preferred choice on Wikipedia? 147.78.5.51 (talk) 08:59, 7 April 2023 (UTC)


 * Well someone has changed it to "existing" now. Certainly that's better, (I'm still fond of "extant" because why have words if we don't use them!), but it's a bit broad. Fossil remains exist of extinct creatures for example, so existing and living aren't really the same. 147.78.5.51 (talk) 09:58, 7 April 2023 (UTC)

Communication: beaver tails
Hello! I’m writing on behalf of my mother as she seems quite passionate about dispelling the myth that beavers use their tails to warn other beavers about a danger. In fact, they use their tails as a distraction and way of confusing a threat/danger. There was a naturalist who spent years studying beavers and I can find the reference for you if you like. Or I can put you in touch with my mother who would be very happy to share her references. She was frustrated that this myth keeps being propagated and I suggested to her that Wikipedia might be a way to put a stop to it! Jerusham (talk) 03:32, 9 May 2023 (UTC)
 * Yes, please find and share that reference. It's precisely what we need to back up all content in Wikipedia. HiLo48 (talk) 03:36, 9 May 2023 (UTC)

Map is incorrect - missing Newfoundland
Beavers are native to the island of Newfoundland, but the map appears to exclude it from the range of habitat.

See https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/beaver/ which states:

> STATUS > Native to both Newfoundland and Labrador. 129.222.185.34 (talk) 21:05, 14 September 2023 (UTC)

Beaverslide
I noticed that I didn't know a german word for beaverslide and maybe there is none. I checked the en.wikipedia and noticed that searching "beaverslide" leads to a haystack and "beaver slide" to a village - poor result...so I uploaded in Commons a picture of the true and original beaverslide: Bikerhiker75 (talk) 06:27, 2 January 2024 (UTC)

Busy Beaver?
There is a hardware store called Busy Beaver, which has the mascot of a beaver (the topic of this article). However, this store is not mentioned in this article or on Wikipedia at all. Anyone know why? SaladCatPasta (talk) 13:17, 14 March 2024 (UTC)


 * Most likely because it is not notable as that is our primary inclusion policy. - UtherSRG (talk) 13:23, 14 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Is this why there is an article on a similar hardware store, Lowe’s? I assume that if Busy Beaver becomes notable it will get an article. But thanks for answering the question. SaladCatPasta (talk) 14:14, 14 March 2024 (UTC)