And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of
Hamlet Act III: Scene 1
Apparently I’m not the only one who uses this ominous threat when people are thinking about getting rid of the beavers on their land. Deal with the beavers you have, I always say, because the one’s that come next might be even more problematic. Meanwhile Dr. Peter Busher at BU is busy researching it.
Beavers vs. Humans
CGS prof studies the socially monogamous mammals
Peter Busher has been studying beavers for four decades. A College of General Studies professor and division chair of natural sciences and mathematics [at Boston University], Busher was the first person to track the animals by tagging them with radio transmitters. He examines beaver population dynamics and behavior, including mating habits, birthrates, group structure, and how the animals migrate from one area to another. His findings could inform decisions about how communities respond to beaver activity and manage the animal’s populations, both in Massachusetts and across the country.
Busher says an influx of beavers in a community can raise alarms, causing heated discussions about whether trapping should be broadened to control the population. But he points out that some behaviors can be beneficial. Beaver dam building expands the wetlands, whose functions include filtering toxins from water, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating floods. (Busher notes that wetlands loss contributed to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.)
It’s important to understand how the animal’s population naturally develops, Busher says, and how its family dynamics work. Beavers are territorial, live in family groups, and are selective about which sites they inhabit permanently. These factors mean their populations spike when they move into a new area, but generally drop and stabilize over time.
Knowledge of beavers’ mating habits—which can vary based on their environment—could influence how communities manage the rodents and their “nuisance activity.” Although beavers are known to be among only 3 percent of mammals that are “socially monogamous,” raising their young exclusively with one partner, researchers do not know much about their pairing behavior. Do the parents also mate with other beavers and raise a mixed brood, or are they sexually exclusive? Busher wants to find out.
He believes genetically monogamous beaver populations—those that tend to mate with one partner—increase more slowly and may stay in an area longer. If one of these populations were removed because of nuisance activity, he says, the area would likely be free of beavers for a while. But if the population were more promiscuous, new beavers could move into the area at any time; communities would need to develop a long-term animal removal plan.
Hats off to Dr. Busher. Even I wouldn’t have the cajones to make a threat like that. “If you kill these beavers the next ones you get might have more babies and reproduce even more!” Last I heard research was saying that our beavers were ‘opportunistic monogomists’ and Castor Fiber was loyal and true. Apparently, now he thinks it has to do with individual variables which is pretty fascinating.
All I can say is this gives me memories of Obi Wan.
Go read the entire article and think about our beavers who stayed in on place for 9 years and appeared pretty loyal. We had the unique remarriage after mom died and I wouldn’t say the birth rate changed much with a new partner. 4,4,0,3,1,3,1,4. But what do I know. I never tagged beavers. I just watched them.
Now wish me positive vibes because I’m off for my very last day. Tomorrow we are moving out of the office and I’ll be a retired child psychologist. I’ll be donating my toy collection to the agency where I completed my post doc and the next four days have all the tightly planned synchronized moves of a beaver festival. I’m bracing myself for the personal and clinical chaos that may ensue in the new year. But I’m trusting that I will still find many meaningful ways to contribute!
