Mountain Beaver

Mountain Beaver – Aplodontia rufa – Boomer – Ground Bear – Giant Mole

Source 1: ADW

“The habitat of mountain beavers ranges from forested areas at sea level to timberline peaks. They enjoy areas that contain second growth tree species, shrubs, and prefer to be near water. They are most abundant in high mountain peaks with decidous forest and are least common in coniferous forests.”
-Aren’t phased by a lot of work going on around you
-Like to be where all resources; food, bed, computer, etc. are within easy reach
-Tend to be aloof; not many people see the real you

“Mountain beavers must live in places with deep soils in order to construct their burrow system…The burrow system of mountain beavers is centered around the nest sites. Almost all the entrances are connected to the underground nest chambers…The opening to the tunnels are covered with tent like stick structure or have vegetation covering the opening”
-You aren’t afraid to get dirty when searching for something
-Look beneath the surface of things
-Like to get to the root of the problem
-Avoid conflict where possible
-Feel vulnerable showing the full you
-Need to have to time and space to complete projects
-Life tends to revolve around projects; you literally are as busy as a beaver
-Most of what you do is connected in some way to your projects or passions
-Tend to seal yourself off from the world

“They have strong incisors. Their head is flat and wide and their nose is slightly arched. The body is thick, heavy, and covered with coarse, dull fur. Underneath the fur is a sparse covering of guard hair, which is dark red of grayish brown in color.”
-Have a strong “bite” when provoked
-Rough around the edges; don’t come off as seeming refined or poised
-A tough little bugger, no one is going to mistake you for an air-head
-Protect your self from the coldness of the world pretty well

“Gestation usually lasts six to eight weeks and litters of two to three young are common. The weight of the young beavers is 25.5g. At birth, the beavers are pink, helpless, blind, and do not have a considerable covering fur. Within six to eight weeks the beavers are able to function”
-Need a long time to get acquainted with things
-Not independent from a young age; naïve as a child
-When in a new location, it takes you a long time to adjust

“Mountain beavers are not very social animals. Rarely do they go farther than a few meters from their burrows. Their home ranges overlap and each beaver defends its nest site.”
-Solitary; independent
-Not a traveler, you like your home and stay there as much as you can
-Need to have space to spread out
-Defensive of your possessions; but don’t mind sharing space

“The sight and the hearing of the mountain beaver are very poor but their senses of smell and touch are well developed. Mountain beavers vocalize in the form of whistles and booming sounds. They also squeal while fighting and make a grinding noise with their teeth”
-Are rather blind to details or subtleties
-Sometimes can’t see the whole picture and have “tunnel vision”
-Have very good intuition
-Memory is very good
-Direct in speech and make clear what you think; are bad at hiding feelings
-Touchy-feely
-Like things to be tangible; literal; straight-forward
-Senses thread

“Mountain beavers are herbivorous animals; their diet includes forbs, grasses, and even ferns such as sword fern and bracken fern…While they are eating, they squat and emit hard and soft fecal pellets which they catch in their mouths. The hard pellets are put into a pit next to the vegetation while the soft pellets are reingested.”
-Prefer things to come to you; not one to actively seek something
-Need to have time to digest information; not one for thinking on your feet
-Your natural talents get you by fine
-Herbivore vs. Carnivore

Source 2: eNature

“Active throughout the year, this mostly nocturnal animal occasionally browses during the day, especially in autumn…Although it does not hibernate, it seldom appears aboveground in winter.”
-A survivor, nothing is too extreme for you to handle
-Mysterious, sometimes dark personality
-Purposeful in everything you do

“It contains a nest of coarse vegetation lined with fine, soft vegetation, dead-end tunnels where excrement and rejected bits of food are deposited, and separate chambers for storage of food and so-called Mountain Beaver baseballs, which are baseball-size chunks of stone or clay encountered in digging; the animal occasionally gnaws upon these balls to sharpen its teeth and uses them to close off vacated nesting or feeding areas.”
-Plan ahead
-Hoard; you’ll keep far more stuff than you need because it all is useful
-Keep yourself sharp; expect everything

Source 3: Wikipedia

“Mountain Beavers cannot produce concentrated urine. They are thought to be physiologically restricted to the temperate rain forest regions of the North American Pacific coast and moist microenvironments inland due to their inability to obtain sufficient water in more arid environments.”
-Sometimes have troubles rationing yourself
-Limit yourself because of your inability to handle pressure well