Beavers create habitat suitable for water voles in Scottish rainforest
June 18, 2024 6:09 AM Subscribe
Beavers create habitat suitable for water voles in Scottish rainforest. Beavers’ dams have created more places for water voles to hide from predators and hopefully flourish, say experts.
I've been walking my dog lately up in an area where there's a lot of beaver activity
It's truly impressive to see the speed with which they can change landscape: entire new ponds created in the span of a season, and suddenly you have redwing blackbirds and wild duck and all manner of creatures gravitating to an area, it's a wonder
posted by elkevelvet at 6:51 AM on June 18 [6 favorites]
It's truly impressive to see the speed with which they can change landscape: entire new ponds created in the span of a season, and suddenly you have redwing blackbirds and wild duck and all manner of creatures gravitating to an area, it's a wonder
posted by elkevelvet at 6:51 AM on June 18 [6 favorites]
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Yup. Tropical it ain't, but it's kept warm and wet by the tail end of the Gulf Stream.
As a Scottish person in Canada, beavers are the best. I try to hang out with them at least once a week down by the lake. They've built a huge dam there and it controls runoff from the city's eastern road surface water management system. I like the way that beavers will tolerate you if they're in the mood, but if they're feeling annoyed by your presence they'll do a huge noisy tail-slapping dive to let you know that you're not wanted there. It sounds like someone's hurled a big rock into the water.
And yes, sometimes by the beaver dam I see voles.
posted by scruss at 9:09 AM on June 18 [4 favorites]
Scottish...rainforest?
Yup. Tropical it ain't, but it's kept warm and wet by the tail end of the Gulf Stream.
As a Scottish person in Canada, beavers are the best. I try to hang out with them at least once a week down by the lake. They've built a huge dam there and it controls runoff from the city's eastern road surface water management system. I like the way that beavers will tolerate you if they're in the mood, but if they're feeling annoyed by your presence they'll do a huge noisy tail-slapping dive to let you know that you're not wanted there. It sounds like someone's hurled a big rock into the water.
And yes, sometimes by the beaver dam I see voles.
posted by scruss at 9:09 AM on June 18 [4 favorites]
I read this as "Wales voters" at first glance and was rightly confused.
posted by St. Oops at 2:29 PM on June 18
posted by St. Oops at 2:29 PM on June 18
A little more on Scotland’s rainforests. They are now quite limited in size and there are ongoing efforts to conserve and restore them. I have seen similar in southern Chile - and I think Canada and New Zealand have them. I can confirm we have all the rain required already.
posted by rongorongo at 2:47 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 2:47 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
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Scottish...rainforest?
Everything I hear about beavers is how good they are for the environment, an apex landscaper. It's too bad that water transportation hated their constructions and their fur made great hats, but today let's just put beavers everywhere.
Oh, hey, Canada and the US northwest have rainforests too!
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:23 AM on June 18 [2 favorites]