At weights of up to 70 pounds, they are one of the largest rodents in the world, second only to the South American capybara. Large landmarks are starting to appear all over Canada, nowhere truer than in Alberta. An extinct genus of Giant Beaver and about the size of a modern Black Bear, it was 6-8 ft. (2.5M) in length, about 3.3 ft. (1M) in height, and weighing in at 450-500 lbs. [3], The hind feet of the giant beaver were much larger than in modern beavers, while the hind legs were shorter. The North American beaver is one of two extant beaver species.. Steven G. Johnson / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0, Name: Giant Beaver; also known as Castoroides (Greek for "of the beaver family"); pronounced CASS-tore-OY-deez, Historical Epoch: Late Pliocene-Modern (3 million-10,000 years ago), Size and Weight: About eight feet long and 200 pounds, Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; narrow tail; six-inch-long incisors, It sounds like the punchline to a prehistoric joke: an eight-foot-long, 200-pound beaver with six-inch-long incisors, a narrow tail, and long, shaggy hair. Their average length was approximately 1.9 m (6.2 ft), and they could grow as large as 2.2 m (7.2 ft). The question everyone asks is: did the Giant Beaver build equally giant dams? Habitat: Woodlands of North America. [6], These two species of giant beaver (genus Castoroides) are not close relatives to modern beavers (genus Castor). The weight of the giant beaver could vary from 90 kg (198 lb) to 125 kg (276 lb). After European immigrants colonised North America, the beaver population dropped from 60 million to just 6 to 12 million animals. [10] Remains of the giant beaver, along with Paleo Indian artifacts and the remains of the flat-headed peccary, giant short-faced bear, and the stag moose were found in the Sheriden Cave in Wyandot County, Ohio. 2. But Castoroides, also known as the Giant Beaver, really existed, and it fit right in with the other plus-sized megafauna of its late Pliocene and Pleistocene ecosystem. - Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 110: 151. (218 kg). One other species exists today, the European beaver (Castor fiber). Check out our range of fun beaver facts for kids. The known North American distribution of giant beaver is not significantly changed by this occurrence. [16], Castoroides dilophidus specimens have been unearthed in Florida and South Carolina. - A giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis Foster) fossil from New Brunswick, Canada. Modern beavers have incisor teeth with smooth enamel, while the teeth of the giant beaver were much larger up to 15 cm (6 in) long, with a striated, textured enamel surface. Beaver’s teeth are coated with iron, hence they are orange in color. As its common name implies, the giant beaver looked generally similar to the modern beaver, but was considerably larger. Their rudder-like tail and webbed feel propel them through the water at 5 mph (8 kph). While beaver dams are often found to be around 1,500ft in length, this one has surprised biologists because of its length. Chewing on tree trunks and branches helps keep the teeth from getting too long. The beaver’s teeth never stop growing. Beavers also slap the water with them to startle predators as they dive out of harm’s way.Beavers do not hibernate. Well- preserved skull of Castoroides ohioensis but with the mandibles lost, both zygomatic arches missing, and the facial portions of the maxillae broken away; dental series complete and in good condition. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Giant beaver. Alroy, J., Equilibrial diversity dynamics in North American mammals. Diet: Plants. Historical Epoch: Late Pliocene-Modern (3 million-10,000 years ago) Size and Weight: About eight feet long and 200 pounds. With their powerful jaws and sharp incisors they can gnaw through many of the trees found throughout the island, … It is native to North America and introduced in South America and Europe.. North American beavers live in rivers, ponds, streams, and small lakes.. - Paleoecology of Northeast Indiana Wetland Harboring Remains of the Pleistocene Giant Beaver (Castoroides Ohioensis). It was the size of a Black Bear! And now scientists know why: This giant beaver simply didn’t chuck wood like its smaller counterpart. Further, the deep masseteric fossa of the lower jaw suggests a very powerful bite. [4], One of the defining characteristics of the giant beaver was their incisors, which differ in size and shape from those of modern beavers. All species previously described as C. leiseyorum are considered to belong to C. dilophidus. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. It has been long debated if humans ("overkill hypothesis") or climate change had a bigger effect in the extinction event, but they took several thousands of years to completely die out. Two species are currently recognized, C. dilophidus in the Southeastern US and C. ohioensis in the rest of its range. [9] In Ohio, there have been claims of a possible giant beaver lodge four feet high and eight feet in diameter, formed from small saplings. Instead it had a long skinny tail like a muskrat. Like the other mammalian megafauna of the last Ice Age, the extinction of the Giant Beaver was hastened by the early human settlers of North America, who may have valued this shaggy beast for its fur as well as its meat. These strong enamel ridges would have acted as girders to support such long teeth. Fun Beaver Facts for Kids. When swimming, it works as a giant paddle to propel the animal through the water. 1989. As a result, the giant beaver may have had inferior interactions in its environment, as well as less complex patterns of thoughts and behavior. Although they didn’t have the characteristic flat tail, giant beavers of the Ice Age, known as “Castoroides,” looked remarkably similar to their modern descendants—just much, … See more ideas about beaver, north american beaver, beaver pictures. The Beavers belong to the nocturnal species. The teeth also looked different. It was one of the largest rodents to have ever lived! [2][4] The skull structure of the giant beaver shows that it presumably participated in extended underwater activity, thanks to the ability to take in more oxygen into its lungs. A. Drake (eds. White in 1995 for the Leisey shell pit ..[17][18] Specimens were found in Leisey Shell Pit 1A and 3B, Hillsborough County, Florida, in paleontological sites about 2.1 Mya. Alroy, J., Speciation and extinction in the fossil record of North American mammals. [13], The discovery of giant beaver remains in New Brunswick adds significantly to the Quaternary terrestrial mammal fauna of New Brunswick, and suggests that the terrestrial fauna was probably richer than earlier evidence indicated. Part of a giant beaver skull and the lodge were located in a peaty layer surrounded by loam. Animal Facts: Beaver. Species of Castoroides were much larger than modern beavers. A hitherto overlooked 1891 record of a Castoroides skull from near Highgate, Ontario is the earliest for Canada. It is the largest beaver ever to exist. Castoroides, extinct genus of giant beavers found as fossils in Pleistocene deposits in North America (the Pleistocene Epoch began 2.6 million years ago and ended 11,700 years ago). Read on and enjoy our interesting information about beavers. [7], The Castoroides fossils were discovered in 1837 in a peat bog in Ohio,[5] hence its species epithet ohioensis. Two species are currently recognized, C. dilophidus in the Southeastern US and C. ohioensis in the rest of its range. 232–287 in M. L. McKinney and J. [22], Castoroides went extinct during the Pleistocene–Holocene Transition 12,800–11,500 years ago, alongside several other iconic North American Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoths, mastodons, steppe bison, and so on. Learn some amazing facts about these creatures below! Giant Beaver. Analysing the isotopic signatures of the fossils helped them determine what the animals ate. Nov 7, 2013 - Explore David Power's board "Beavers" on Pinterest. Beaverlodge celebrated its 75th Anniversary of incorporation on July 21, 2004, and part of our celebration included the unveiling of a Giant Beaver Sculpture on our highway corridor. Beavers are famous for their buckteeth and large, flat tails. The giant beaver lacked the iconic paddle-shaped tail we see on today’s modern beavers. C. leiseyorum was previously described from the Irvingtonian of Florida, but is now regarded as an invalid name. [1][14] Specimens from the southeastern US have been placed in a separate species, Castoroides dilophidus, based on differences in premolar and molar features. They can also stay under water for around 15 minutes at a time, according to National Geographic. [2] However recent analyses suggest that they weighed some 77 kg (170 lb), but this is disputable. In Canada, fossils of this species are commonly found in the Old Crow Basin, Yukon, and single specimens are known from Toronto, Ontario and Indian Island, New Brunswick. Ind. Giant Beaver Sculpture. [8] Castoroides had cutting teeth up to 15 cm-long with prominently-ridged outer surfaces. 1. †Castoroides leiseyorum†Castoroides ohioensis†Castoroides dilophidus. ", Giant Mammal and Megafauna Pictures and Profiles, 10 Prehistoric Creatures that Grew to Dinosaur-Like Sizes, The Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals of Oregon, Prehistoric Marsupial Pictures and Profiles. )�the size of a black bear. But Castoroides, also known as the Giant Beaver, really existed, and it fit right in with the other plus-sized megafauna of its late Pliocene and Pleistocene ecosystem. There are two species of beaver. [1] It can only be assumed that its feet were webbed as in modern species. The Giant Beaver. beaver Facts. 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