Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

jpeck89 t1_it5iz31 wrote

Reply to comment by BloodshotPizzaBox in Is building dams a learned behaviour for beavers? by Snoo-82132

How does that happen?

39

quikskier t1_it5lqy3 wrote

Well you play the sound of running water and come back to find the building just a big pile of lumber.

304

anonymiz123 t1_it6go2q wrote

The sound of running water annoys them, basically, and starts up some kind of OCD response. That’s how one wildlife rescue simplified it.

112

[deleted] t1_it6rltw wrote

That’s why destroying their dams doesn’t actually solve the beaver problem, if you need an area to have free flowing water for some reason, you essentially have to eliminate the local beaver population, because they’ll come back and block it up no matter how many times they have to do it

45

cwisto00 t1_it6xtfg wrote

That's been the thinking for decades, but a number of devices have been invented in the past 20 years or so to make killing beavers unnecessary in almost all cases. Crucial since they are a keystone species and eliminating them works out poorly in the long run.

59

Corrupted_G_nome t1_it747xn wrote

The beaver deciever was one brand of device. Its just a covered pipe that bypasses the dam. Neat trick.

24

Falcfire t1_it76mof wrote

Ah yes, ever since the invention of the beaver-deciever there's no more need for the beaver-cleaver.

55

nightfire36 t1_it7d2r3 wrote

I used to be annoyed by them locking up streams, but learning about them has made me into a beaver-believer.

19

Force3vo t1_it7h96w wrote

Though the Beaver Cleaver was historically used by Shiva and her believers the Beaver deceiver would grant a breather to the wood weavers.

11

accidental_Ocelot t1_it7lv7x wrote

and now we have come to find out that beaver damns were important to combat wildfires so we start to help them build dams again.

7

Enginerdad t1_it7tsmf wrote

You don't necessarily have to kill them, relocation will do just fine if there's a specific waterway you need to keep clear.

4

Markqz t1_it81pdt wrote

You could put little earmuffs on them. It would drive the tourists wild, too.

4

Heathy94 t1_it7gqp1 wrote

It was like damn I need to build a dam so I stop hearing that damn noise.

5

Niven42 t1_it6v057 wrote

Also, the principle of Emergent Behavior. In any complex system, once that system reaches a critical point, then simple, unrelated steps in the process can combine to create an unexpected outcome, usually not predicted from the relatively unsophisticated inputs. I.e. beavers gnaw trees while eating, trees fall, piles of fallen branches create shelter from predators, populations that survive pass tree gnawing habits to the next generation, etc.

50

IM-NOT-RICK-PITINO t1_it79wel wrote

Ahh, Emergent Behavior. One of the most beautiful and fascinating characteristics of our physical universe and barely anyone knows about it

16

gh0stwriter88 t1_it7jgcb wrote

FYI beavers don't eat trees. The actually eat soft vegetation.

If it were emergent behavior it would be to keep their teeth short... since they dont' stop growing but you have more a chicken and egg problem there than a nice happy emergent behavior example.

11

5Quad t1_it7yy5u wrote

Don't nearly all rodents have the teeth issue? So it would be reasonable to assume that the teeth growing/gnawing came way before dam building behavior.

4

gh0stwriter88 t1_it8g3yl wrote

Withing the context of emergent behavior theory that would be a valid conclusion I think.... I'm a creationist myself so I have different ideas but, as I said in the earlier comment it would probably be some gnawing behavior due to teeth (but that gets into the discussion of did long growing teeth or gnawing occur first etc.. if you aren't a creationist anyway).

Also I believe rodents aren't the only genus to have long growing teeth or tusks that are maintained by wear and instinct. (which implies potential for parallel evolution or design)

−5

devo_inc t1_it69ym6 wrote

Same way caterpillars develop "eyes" on their back to scare off predators. Thousands of years of evolution.

22

HercUlysses t1_it7dbmo wrote

The same reason most apes species are scared of snakes by default. The simplest way to explain it is that apes that have a trait that makes them scared of snakes tend to survive longer and reproduce more, therefore spreading the trait that makes apes scared of snakes.

9

foul_dwimmerlaik t1_it7otou wrote

This has actually been debunked. Monkeys raised in labs are not instinctively afraid of snakes.

2

HercUlysses t1_it7rsk5 wrote

Turns out you're right study link. The point still stands as an example of evolution, traits that survive natural selection reproduce more, therefore, passing the trait to the next generation.

3

ParagonSaint t1_it8w3f0 wrote

Beavers hear a river flowing and think to themselves “absolutely not” then they pile up sticks until that annoying sound is gone

1