Wood plays an important role in a beaver’s survival. It is part of its diet and it is used to build the beaver’s lodge. The beaver has special adaptations that help it get the most out of the wood in its environment. The beaver has long, sharp upper and lower incisors (teeth) that it uses to cut into trees and woody vegetation. These teeth grow throughout the beaver’s life. Even the beaver’s large, flat, nearly hairless tail helps. It uses its tail to help maintain its balance when it is gnawing on trees. Most of the beaver’s diet is made up of tree bark and cambium. Cambium is the soft tissue that grows under the bark of a tree. The beaver has a specialized digestive system that helps it digest tree bark and cambium.
Wood plays an important role in a beaver’s survival. It is part of its diet and it is used to build the beaver’s lodge. The beaver has special adaptations that help it get the most out of the wood in its environment. The beaver has long, sharp upper and lower incisors (teeth) that it uses to cut into trees and woody vegetation. These teeth grow throughout the beaver’s life. Even the beaver’s large, flat, nearly hairless tail helps. It uses its tail to help maintain its balance when it is gnawing on trees. Most of the beaver’s diet is made up of tree bark and cambium. Cambium is the soft tissue that grows under the bark of a tree. The beaver has a specialized digestive system that helps it digest tree bark and cambium.
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