We have had numerous “what was that?” moments here on the mountain. Yesterday was another one of those moments...
Driving
home last night, a small critter ran across the road and was briefly caught in
the glare of the headlights. It’s not
the first time I have seen this large guinea pig looking creature here on the
mountain but I have never been quick enough, in the few times that I have seen
it, to get a picture. After asking
several people who live around here, I was told it was a... Mountain Beaver!? I had to Google it, because I still didn’t know
what it was.
.jpg) |
| This species is the only living member of its genus, Aplodontia, and family Aplodontiidae. (Source: animals.lafcadio.net) |
It
turns out that a Mountain Beaver is an interesting but little known mammal
unique to the Pacific Northwest. Its
range falls mostly to the west of the Cascades, from northern California to
southern British Columbia. First
described by Lewis and Clark, the mountain beaver remains rather obscure, even
here in the heart of its range. It is
primarily nocturnal and is seldom seen. Even
though its name is Mountain Beaver, it’s not really a beaver. It’s a rodent. In fact, with a lineage traced back 40
million years, the mountain beaver is our oldest rodent. It has several common names including
aplodontia, boomer, and ground bear.
.jpg) |
| A few entrances to a mountain beaver's burrow. |
Walking
around the mountain, we’re always seeing these clusters of holes on slopes or
small hillsides. I have always wondered
which little critter they belonged to, and it turns out they are the Mountain
Beaver’s burrows. Since they rarely
travel far from their burrows, which can have anywhere between 10-30 entrances,
this is probably why they continue to escape the camera.
I am
happy to add another animal to the ever growing list of animals seen on our
mountain.
