Mountain Beaver Skull Replica

Description

Mountain Beaver Skull Replica measures 2.8 inches. The Mountain Beaver Skull Replica is cast in museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Aplodontia rufa is the scientific name. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home decor skull, or office decor skull.

Mountain beaver or Aplodontia rufa are gray or brown, but their fur can range from slightly more reddish to more blackish depending on subspecies, with a light patch under each ear. The animals have distinctively short tails. Adults weigh about 18–32 oz. Total length is about 12–20 in., with a tail length of 0.39–1.57 in. Their superficial similarity with true beavers reflects only their relatively large size (for rodents), strong odor, preference for living in extremely watery moist habitats, and propensity to consume tree seedlings as food.

Mountain beaver or Aplodontia rufa do not fell adult trees (though such trees may be killed by “girdling”), build dams, live in lodges, or communicate by tail slappings. The Aplodontia rufa are predominantly nocturnal in above ground activities. They are known to climb trees a few meters to acquire food in the form of branches and leaves, but otherwise their diet consists mostly of ferns, especially species which are toxic to other animals.

The skull is protrogomorphous; it has no specialized attachments for the masseter muscles as seen in other rodents. It is flattened and lacks a postorbital process.

Mountain beaver or Aplodontia rufa have an unusual projection on each molar and premolar tooth, which is unique among mammals and allows for easy identification of teeth. This projection points toward the cheek on the upper tooth row, but points toward the tongue on the lower. The cheek teeth lack the complex folds of other rodents and instead consist of single basins. They are hypsodont and ever-growing. Two upper and one lower premolars are present, along with all the molars.

Mountain beaver or Aplodontia rufa are found in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia and southward to include the rest of the Cascade Range in the United States, the Olympic Mountains and Coast Ranges of Washington and Oregon.

Shop More Museum Quality Rodent Skulls in Rodent Skull Store

Additional information