Aplodontia rufa

Overview

Aplodontia rufa is a burrowing rodent of western North America, also known as the mountain beaver. It has a stout body, small eyes and ears, and a short, furry tail.^[1]

Key facts

Cool, damp places are especially important to this animal. This is linked to its limited physiological ability to conserve water. Considering water and temperature around its burrows together helps explain where this small forest animal lives.^[1]

Time and place

It is a living species known from the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges of western North America. A 2012 Canadian report summarized its distribution in southwestern British Columbia and south of the Fraser River. Its living space connects mountains, rivers, and moist forests.^[1]

The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.

Size, form and skeleton

The 2012 report gives a length including the tail of approximately 30–47 cm and a tail length of about 2–4 cm. Coarse, dark brown fur covers the stout body. Small eyes and ears and a short, furry tail complete its outline.^[1]

Habitat and reproduction

It digs burrows in deep, friable soil near streams or seepages. In forest openings and young forests, it feeds on grasses, ferns, young shrubs, and trees. Adults use separate burrows; females are reported to give birth in spring, and young leave their natal burrows in late summer.^[1]

Fossil discovery

The scientific name dates to a description in 1817. The English name mountain beaver is said to preserve a nickname given by Sierra Nevada gold miners in the 1850s. Modern ecological research continues alongside a long history of naming and classification.^[1]

References

1. COSEWIC2012 — Mountain beaver assessment and ecology report
2. Turnbull1991 — Head and skeleton of Protoptychus

Research questions

Why does it live in some cool forests yet remain scarce in others that look similar? Researchers study soil conditions, water, and food plants, as well as how rivers and dry regions affect movement. It is an intriguing example of considering a small body’s physiology together with terrain on a large map.^[1]

Observation

Move your gaze from the small eyes and ears to the stout body and short, furry tail. Picture that body moving between a damp forest floor and its burrow.^[1]