European beaver

Beavers are perfectly adapted to aquatic life. They have ears and noses that can be closed with skin folds, dense fur (up to 30,000 hairs/cm2), webbed toes on their hind legs and a flat rowing tail (= trowel). By felling trees close to the river banks and building dams and small "reservoirs", beavers are able to remodel their environment in a sustainable way. This benefits them and many other animals, but often disturbs us humans. Beavers build 2-4 burrows. Their entrance is always below the water level (enemy protection!), but the burrow itself is above the water level. Even in Tyrol, place names still refer to the early presence of beavers (e.g. Biberwier, Reutte district). Since the 1990s, traces of the beaver have been found again and it is now firmly established again in Tyrol, even reaching as far as Innsbruck along the River Inn.