Tramping through the snow, I encountered a strange new phenomenon – frozen balls of mud heaped in piles three or four feet high in pyramids or against the trunks of trees. What on earth could they could be? Ammunition dumps for a mud ball war? Savings banks for a colony of giant moles? Who had stacked them so laboriously? And why?
Naturally, Google has the answers. Turns out that these heaps of mud balls are raised by beavers to mark the edge of their territory, warning other house-hunting beavers that this real estate is taken. They are a giant “Keep Out!” sign. I will have to make a trip around all the beaver ball towers to find out how much territory I do not own.
Another tower of frozen mud balls
Beaver territory marker. Keep Out!
Love your blog! Those beavers are really something else! You gotta love ’em for their “Get off my land!” attitude.
hi Gail, thanks for helping me and happy birthday!