North American Beaver Negative Footprint

Description

North American Beaver Negative Footprint measures 3.42 in. x 2.59 in. Beaver Negative Footprint is museum quality polyurethane cast made in USA. Our precise footprint can be used as a teaching tool, museum footprint exhibit, home decor footprint, or office decor footprint.

The North American Beaver is the largest rodent in North America. The beaver is semiaquatic.
The first fossil records of beaver are 10 to 12 million years old in Germany, and they are thought to have migrated to North America across the Bering Strait. The oldest fossil record of beavers in North America are of two beaver teeth near Dayville, Oregon, and are 7 million years old.

The beaver has a large, flat, paddle-shaped tail and large, webbed hind feet. The unwebbed front paws are smaller, with claws.
The forepaws are highly dextrous, and are used both for digging, and to fold individual leaves into their mouth and to rotate small, pencil-sized stems as they gnaw off bark.

The North American Beaver eyes are covered by a nictitating membrane which allows the beaver to see under water.
The nostrils and ears are sealed while submerged. Their lips can be closed behind their front teeth so that they can continue to gnaw underwater. A thick layer of fat under its skin insulates the beaver from its coldwater environment.

The beaver’s fur consists of long, coarse outer hairs and short, fine inner hairs. The fur has a range of colors, but usually is dark brown.

Scent glands near the genitals secrete an oily substance known as castoreum, which the beaver uses to waterproof its fur. There is also another set of oil glands producing unique chemical identifiers in the form of waxy esters and fatty acids.
The lush, workable fur was made into a number of products, most notably hats.

Demand for furs for hats drove North American Beaver nearly to the point of extinction, and the North American species was saved principally by a sudden change in style.

Additional information