- Why are CEDEN Keystone NFTs a collection of beavers?
We chose to create the Keystone NFTs as a PFP collection of beavers because they are an incredible keystone species that supports the ecosystem in the area they inhabit. Similarly, at CEDEN, we are committed to bringing about ecological change by reducing the ecological footprint of the gaming industry in terms of content production and delivery. That’s why we selected beavers to represent our values and vision for a sustainable future.
2. How are beavers the keystone species?
Beavers play a critical role in ecosystems as keystone species, using their dams to alleviate problems like pollution and create a safe habitat for a variety of species. Their actions help maintain biodiversity and without them, an ecosystem could change dramatically or even cease to exist. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/keystone-species).
3. What do beavers eat?
While you may have seen beavers chomping on carrots in posts on IG and Twitter, they are actually herbivores. In the wild, they mainly feed on leaves from trees like willows and aspens, and also strip tree bark for a snack. Beavers are adaptable and can consume various aquatic plants and vegetation. They are known to be skillful with their front paws, holding food while they eat.
4. What are beavers good at?
Beavers are skilled swimmers and excellent builders. They are capable of constructing complex riverside structures, including dams and lodges, using only their teeth and paws!
5. Why are beavers’ teeth so big?
Beavers have teeth with an orange-colored enamel coating rich in iron that protects them. Their teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, but their daily use helps to grind them down. Due to the fact that the softer dentine erodes more quickly than the enamel, beavers’ teeth wear unevenly, creating a chisel-like shape that aids them in cutting through hard objects such as wood. (https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/8-facts-celebrate-international-beaver-day)
6. What are some interesting characteristics of a beaver?
Beavers are excellent swimmers, with the ability to reach speeds of up to 6 mph (10 kilometers per hour). Their large lungs enable them to stay submerged for up to 15 minutes and travel over half a mile. Their whiskers are highly sensitive and help them detect objects around their face and head, making them especially useful in dark water or narrow passageways. Beavers’ eyes have a thin, transparent membrane called a nictitating membrane, which protects their eyes while underwater. Although their sight is good only for short distances and at close range, their auditory sense is well developed, thanks to their small, rounded external ears with valves that close while submerged.
The shape of a beaver’s tail is a unique individual and family trait, varying from short and broad to long and narrow. It is practically hairless and covered with black scales. Beavers use their tails as a rudder while swimming and as a balance prop while working on land. They also slap their tails on the water to signal danger. Interestingly, beavers store fat in their tails and eat more in the fall to survive off the stored fat in their tails through winter if food is scarce. (https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver)
7. Why do beavers build dams?
Beavers build dams not as their home, but to create a deep-water pond that serves as a protective barrier against predators like bears or wolves. Their actual home is a small protective island or dome lodge built in the pond, where they live and store food. Beavers are capable of constructing lodges with up to ten stories.
8. How many beavers live in a dam?
The number of beavers that can live in a dam and lodge varies and there is no set number. Typically, only one family of beavers occupies an area, and they may even fight other families that enter their territory. (https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-beavers-build-dams/)
9. Do beavers hibernate?
Like many other rodents, beavers do not hibernate. But they do meticulously prepare for long winter months. In fact, just in case they get frozen into their pond, beavers create a food store below their lodge.
Beavers spend more time in their lodge to escape the cold during this time, and to nurse their newborns, who are normally birthed in winter. (https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-beavers-build-dams/)
10. Why do beavers slap their tails in the water?
If a wild beaver greets you with a great big tail slap, it’s because they feel threatened. A beaver will slap the water with its tail to alert others before diving under. Any family member to hear the splash will likely return to the water, too.
Did you enjoy this FAQ on our lovely friends and keystone species, beavers?
If you did, please leave a few claps with your tails and be sure to friend us in our social channels!
