Castoridae+1st+Block

__**Castoridae**__ 1. The Suborder is Scuiromopha and it breaks into two familys, Castoridae, and Scuiridae. The beaver is the only rodent that belongs to Castoridae. Sciuridae has The Northern Flying Squirrel, Southern Flying Squirrel, The Least Chipmunk, Eastern Chipmunk, 13 lined Ground squirrel, Richardson's Ground Squirrel, Franklin's Ground Squirrel, the Red Squirrel, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel, and the Woodchuck. All of these rodents have large claws, and large incissors. That is why they are in the same suborder.

2. Beavers are alone in the Castoridae family mainly because they are so different from other rodents. - They are the largest rodent by far. - They have webbed feet. - They have a paddle like tail. - They swim.

3. -Beavers inhabit all of Minnesota. - This is the area in pink on the map.

Domain - Eukaryote. Kingdom - Animalia. Phylum - Chordata. Class - Mammalia. Order - Rodentia. Suborder - Sciuridae. Family - Castoridae.
 * __ 4. Classification. __**

__** 5. Species. **__ Beaver __**Size**__ - Length - 31"-58". - Weight - 20 - 60 pounds. __**Live**__ - They live in rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, and ditches. - They build a den called a lodge, or a beaver hutch, which is hollow inside and has holes on top for ventilation. They usually have 1 or 2 underwater entrances in their hutch. Sometimes they just dig burrows on riverbanks so they don't have to build a hutch. __**Food**__ - Beavers are Herbivores, they eat soft bark, inner bark, aquatic plants, and green leaves. __**Identification**__ - Reddish brown fur. - Body darker than head. - Large, flat, black tail, covered with scales. - Small round ears. - Large, orange incissors. - Tiny eyes.
 * __Tracks -

Lifespan__** - 16-20 years

- Thick fur to keep warm. - Large incissors to eat wood, and cut trees down.
 * __ Adapted Charactoristics __** - Webbed feet for swimming.

- Flat tail acts as a rudder while swimming, also to help them stand upright, to help them drag logs, and to warn predators when coming with a splash of their tail. __**Additional Charactoristics -**__ They can swim up to 6 miles per hour. - They can swim underwater for up to 15 minutes.

[] [] [] [] Mammals of Minnesota Field Guide.