Mary Holland posted: " Beavers spend an inordinate amount of time grooming themselves (and each other). Both inside their lodge and on land a beaver tucks its tail between its legs, sits up on its hind legs and spends up to an hour at a time fastidiously combing throug" Naturally Curious with Mary Holland
Beavers spend an inordinate amount of time grooming themselves (and each other). Both inside their lodge and on land a beaver tucks its tail between its legs, sits up on its hind legs and spends up to an hour at a time fastidiously combing through its fur often multiple times a day.
Both front and hind feet are pressed into service. The two inner toes on each hind foot are modified for grooming – the second toe has a "split nail" with a nail and a horny growth between the nail and the toe which has a finely serrated upper edge that serves as a fine-toothed comb.
Grooming serves two purposes. One is to remove debris from the coat, from algae to burrs and parasites. The other is to waterproof the beaver's coat. A beaver applies an oily substance from its anal glands to the outer layer of hair with the help of its toes, thereby preventing its inner, denser, underfur from getting wet.
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