European Beaver
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| Castor fiber Linnaeus, 1758 |
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 Distribution of both species of beaver. The former range of the European Beaver is indicated by green colouring in Eurasia. Current distribution is in red.
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The European Beaver (Castor fiber) is an endangered aquatic mammal which was hunted almost to extinction in Europe, both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion of its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties.[1] However, this beaver is now being re-introduced throughout Europe. Several thousand live on the Elbe, the Rhone, the Danube and in parts of Scandinavia. They have been reintroduced in Bavaria and The Netherlands and are tending to spread to new locations.[2] The beaver became extinct in Britain in the sixteenth century, but a new population of wild beavers have been confirmed in Scotland in recent months [1]. Also six European Beavers will be released into a lakeside area in Gloucestershire and allowed to roam wild.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Gippoliti (2002). Castor fiber. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
- ^ Europäischer Biber. WWF Österreich. Retrieved on August 24, 2006.
- ^ "Beavers in 'wild' after centuries", BBC News, 2005-10-28.
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[edit] Gallery
 Skull of a beaver (Castor) |
 Eurasian beaver |
