Mammal Monday -- The Beaver!

Last week, I paid a visit to the Smithsonian's National Zoo to take a few pictures and check on some of my favorite animals like the naked mole rats.  My family and I wandered onto the American Trail exhibit, where we could see sea lions, seals, wolves, bald eagles, otters, and these cute little guys:

Beavers are what we call a "keystone species," or a species whose impact on the environment is greater than you'd expect based on their biomass.  They basically hold an ecosystem together.  Let's take a closer look at these industrious critters: