Bernd Heinrich
Beavers are keystone animals who have played a large role in shaping the American biosphere. They also drew the American map by luring the trappers and mountainmen into the wilderness, and so promoting westward expansion. Although once nearly eradicated because of a frivolous fashion for men's hats, they are now making a dramatic comeback. Their behavior and ecology are perhaps more familiar than those of any other of our native mammal species, yet no comprehensive and up-to-date modern scientific treatise about the beaver has been available. This concise yet comprehensive book fills a glaring gap in the literature about one of the most interesting and important species in the northern ecosystem.
From the Publisher
Revered by naturalists, loved by children, and dreaded by golf course maintenance crews, the North American beaver is a charismatic, often controversial symbol of wildlife's resurgence in the human-altered landscape. For anyone keen to learn more about this species, this book is an excellent reference.
Valerius Geist
The Beaver is a modern synthesis of the beaver's ecology. It is a pleasure to read. The prose is easy to follow, as is the logic, and the insights about the beaver's biology are enlightening. This book is most suitable for a broad audience and ought to enjoy a great following. For the technical reader there is a good reference section following each chapter, as there needs to be, since the book goes beyond natural history and also deals with contentious management issues. It is thus more than an introduction to an animal that played a very great role in the history of North America. This synthesis also poses challenges for the future. This book should not be missing from a wildlife manager's book shelf.
John Hadidian
This book is a wonderful blend of natural and social history that satisfies all appetites in explaining the role and significance of beaver in contemporary landscapes. It is full of useful and relevant information about the return of nature's second best engineer and gives us a blueprint as to how we might work with these engaging animals to produce healthier and environmentally more sound environments, even in urban and suburban areas. I know of no better current source of information from which to learn about beaver and their ways as well as appreciate the complex history and relationship of people with these amazing animals.