Your definitive guide to BEAVERS
Spinach is key to life on Mars...
1 Beavers have roamed the planet for around 7.5million years and they are among the largest living rodents in the world. Back in the Ice Age there used to be giant beavers which grew to 8ft long and weighed 14st.
2 They have extra-strong teeth which allow them to gnaw through tree trunks and their front gnashers are orange. That’s because their tooth enamel contains iron, rather than calcium, which also makes them strong and sharp.
3 But, despite the big teeth, they are actually herbivores who feed off woody trees such as willow and birch.
4 In ancient times, beavers were hunted for their testicles, which were thought to have medicinal properties. This led to a myth that beavers gnawed them off to save themselves when hunted. While it’s not true it continued until the Middle Ages and was even recommended as a spiritual example for chaste Christians.
5 The critters do produce a chemical compound called castoreum from sacs under its tail. It is a yellowish-brown slime which smells like vanilla. This is used in perfume and even as a natural flavouring in some food.
6 The semi-aquatic animals are known for building dams, barriers which control the flow of water, which can be enormous. The largest, in Alberta, Canada, is almost half-a-mile long and even shows up on satellite images.
7 Beavers are monogamous. Lodges are usually started by a young male or a mated-for-life new couple and the whole family will live there.
8 Their over-sized leathery tails – which can grow to 15ins long and 6intaxs wide – serve multiple purposes. While swimming it can be used as a rudder, or they can slap it against the water to warn other beavers of a predator. On dry land it acts as a third leg to help keep them upright.
9 In the 16th century, the Catholic Church decided as beavers lived partly in water, they were a fish and could be eaten during fasting days. A beaver’s tail is also said to be tasty and was once considered a delicacy.
10 Beavers can swim at speeds of up to 5mph. They also have nose and ear valves which shut to keep out water while submerged as well as a transparent “third eyelid” which acts like a pair of goggles over their eyes. Their furlined lips also close to form a seal behind their teeth, allowing them to hold their breath for up to 15 minutes while they carry branches underwater.
POPEYE could hold the key to getting humans to Mars.
Spinach, the cartoon character’s super-fuel, protects the heart from space radiation and the effects of zero gravity, says new research.
It suggests Mars pioneers will have to depend on a diet rich in antioxidants.
Dutch research author Professor Jesper Hjortnaes of the University of Leiden said: “Eating plenty of greens such as spinach could protect astronauts from the damaging reactive oxygen molecules produced during radiation exposure.”
The vegetable is most famous for giving Popeye the Sailor Man his amazing strength. It is high in nutrients and low in calories, reducing the risk of cancer.
Members of the Apollo missions to the Moon have faced a five-fold higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease – a major stumbling block for establishing a human settlement on the Red Planet.
Prof Hjortnaes said: “In space an invisible threat is ever present – radiation. It can have a huge array of negative effects on astronaut health – including cardiovascular disease.
“However, if we are ever to journey to the Red Planet, we will need to understand and reduce this risk.”
Nasa hopes to land the first humans there within the next 15 years.