Castor

Castor 

Castor is a genus of semi-aquatic rodents, the Castoridae family, native to North America and Europe, being the only kind still existing in this family, with two remaining species: C. fiber (Eurasian beaver) and C. canadensis (North American beaver). There was also the castor-of-Kellogg (C. californicus), which is extinct since the Pleistocene. They only live in the Northern Hemisphere, except some American beavers, who arrived in the South American region of Tierra del Fuego, introduced artificially. Also they have been introduced this species in certain parts of Europe. With these exceptions, Castor canadensis only inhabits North America, and Castor fiber in parts of Europe and Asia. The extinct Castor californicus stretched for what today is the western United States. Living species are very similar to each other, but genetic research has shown that European and North American populations are two species, the main distinction between them the different number of chromosomes.

These animals are known for their natural ability to build dams in rivers and streams that are their homes - called dens - thus creating dams that block the flow of water. For the construction of these structures mainly use tree trunks, tipping with its powerful incisors. Despite the large amount of trees that ravage, beavers do not usually harm the ecosystem in which they live: on the contrary, keep it healthy, because its dams provide a lot of benefits; Among other things, these barriers favor the creation of wetlands, help control flooding and eliminate contaminants from the stream. But in strange ecosystems to them, these changes to the environment can be harmful, as happened, for example, with the beavers introduced in Tierra del Fuego and in the Spanish regions of Navarra and La Rioja.

Since hundreds of years beavers are part of popular culture and, in some cases, they had a great influence on the development of human societies. An example of this is its importance in the European colonization of America, as the search for their fur was one of the factors driving the exploration and subsequent economic development of North America. This was due to the commercial value of their skins and other products made of them, like castoreum. It is also a very representative element in the culture of Canada, to such a degree that is the national animal-symbol of that country. Therefore, the influence of beavers is not limited to the economic and commercial sector, also covers various fields such as literature, religion and sport.