Science database
KNOWLEDGE BASE
We have gathered decades of scientific research from Great Britain, continental Europe and North America to share with people interested in diving deeper into the world of beavers.
This list of resources is being constantly amended and updated.
Showing 650 articles
Risk assessment of the alien North American beaver (Castor canadensis)
Published by: Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority
12th January 2017
This report assessed the risk of the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) becoming invasive in the European Union. It described the beavers' introduction to Finland in the 1930s as well as its its habitat preferences, ecological impact, and potential threats to public health. The study highlighted concerns about its spread in several EU countries. The report also noted that, given the species adaptability (with a native range from the arctic tundra to Mexico), climate change is unlikely to impact its ability to become invasive.
The 7-year itch: non-adaptive mate change in the Eurasian beaver
Published by: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
7th January 2017
This study was one of the first to try to understand why mammals change mate, testing a variety of hypotheses. It found that, for beavers in Norway, mate change generally occurred in the seventh year of a partnership. The individual who stays often re-paired with a younger newcomer, but this change didn't improve reproductive success. It seemed that the mate change was forced either by the arrival of the newcomer or the disappearance (or death) of the beaver who left.
Alteration of hydrogeomorphic processes by invasive beavers in southern South America
Published by: Science of the Total Environment
1st January 2017
The North American beaver was introduced to southern Patagonia in 1946. This study looks at their impact in Argentina. Beavers here had built dams with local trees and sediment, damaged local peatland ecosystems, and enabled invasive species. The impact on peatlands, in particular, was new to research at this time - restoration plans should be aware of all of these impacts. Please note, this resource is not open-access.
Leptin plasma concentrations, leptin gene expression, and protein localisation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-adrenal axes of the European beaver (Castor fiber)
Published by: Theriogenology
1st January 2017
This study examined how the production of the hormone leptin in Eurasian beavers varied by sex and by time of year. The results showed that leptin was found in each of the beaver tissues tested, with patterns of leptin production across the reproductive cycle varying by sex. This indicated that leptin has a role in controlling breeding hormones at different stages of the reproductive cycle for beavers. Please note, this resource is not open-access.
Orexin receptor expression in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axes of free-living European beavers (Castor fiber L.) in different periods of the reproductive cycle
Published by: General and Comparative Endocrinology
1st January 2017
In this paper, scientists tested how much a tiny messenger molecule called orexin was produced in Eurasian beavers at different reproductive stages and for different sexes. Receptors for this messenger molecule were found in lots of different beaver organs and varied across the seasons, especially in two organs: the hypothalamus and gonads. These findings suggest that orexins may play a role in regulating reproductive activity in beavers. Please note, this resource is not open-access.
