Naturalist Mary Holland shared this wonderful picture with us…yup, it’s an animal den site. But what kind of animal?
Answer
This is the inside of a beaver lodge.
When colonizing a new site, beaver(s) create bank holes that serve as rudimentary burrows. By piling sticks around the entrance of the hole, they’ll turn the burrow into a bank lodge – think of it as a starter home. Once established at a given site, they’ll often build a freestanding lodge that’s surrounded by water and thus safe from most predators, although sometimes ambitious nature photographers find a way in.
Thanks to naturalist/author Mary Holland for sharing this great shot. You can check out more of Mary’s nature photos on her blog: http://naturallycuriouswithmaryholland.wordpress.com/
This week’s contest winner was Ernest Clifford of Crown Point, New York. We only had 1 correct answer!