Thanks to Jerry Cunningham, who was the first Canadian born member of the BRFC, our team was christened with the beaver as its mascot.

As a tribute to this offical Canadian symbol we have pulled together a few basic facts for anyone trying to brush up on their beaver related trivia.

The story of the beaver as a recognizable Canadian symbol began hundreds of years ago, due primarily to the emergence of the fur trade and its importance to the European economy. Thanks to companies such as the Hudson's Bay Company the symbol of the beaver gained more prominance. In 1678, they honoured the buck-toothed animal by putting it on the shield of its coat of arms. The beaver attained official status as an emblem of Canada when an "act to provide for the recognition of the beaver (castor canadensis) as a symbol of the sovereignty of Canada" received royal assent on March 24, 1975.

 

Basic Description

The thick-set body of the beaver is covered with dark, reddish brown fur consisting of coarse guard hairs over dense, soft underfur. The large mass-to-surface ratio and the dense, insulating fur adapt it for a semiaquatic existence in water that can often be ice cold.

The black tail is horizontally flattened, paddle-shaped and scaly. Large, webbed hind feet are powerful paddles for swimming. The eyes are small and have nictitating membranes, which can be drawn across the eyeball when the beaver is underwater. In addition, the nostrils and ear openings have valves that can be closed at submersion. Finally, structural adaptations in the back of the mouth prevent water getting into the lungs and permit the beaver to gnaw under water and to carry branches while swimming submerged.

(www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com)

 

Quick Facts

Type: Mammal

Diet: Herbivore

Average life span in the wild: Up to 24 years

Size: Head and body, 23 to 39 in (60 to 100 cm); tail, 7.75 to 12 in (20 to 30.5 cm)

Weight: 60 lbs (27 kg)

Group name: Colony

(www.nationalgeographic.com)