 Source of image: www.nbrb.by
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| THE BEREZINSKY BIOSPHERE PRESERVE – THE BEAVER
In the early 1930s. beavers in Belarus were thought to be exterminated. And only prohibition of beaver-hunting saved them from complete extinction.
In December 1924, a small colony of this animals was discovered by an expedition led by Prof. A.V.Fedjushin, renowned zoologist, at the head of the Berezina River were State Beaver Preserve was established later.
In 1979, the Berezinsky Preserve was given the status of a biosphere preserve and was included in the world network of UNESCO's standing program "Man and Biosphere." In 1992, the Preserve became a member of the European Nature and National Parks Federation. Today, 789 species of plants, 320 species of vertebrates and 3,175 species of invertebrates are identified in the Preserve. The Preserve takes special pride in its native beaver population. The beaver is rightly considered to be one of the largest representatives of the order Rodentia. It is a squat mammal growing to about 1 meter long. The heaviest beaver trapped in the Preserve weighed 35 kg, whereas on the average its weight ranges between 15 and 18 kg.
The beaver is an excellent swimmer and diver. Its streamlined body, webbed hind feet, and a paddlelike tail allow it to access its home under water easily.
On land, the animal seems awkward, swaying as it walks. However, it swims gracefully and with ease. Once in water, its ears and nostrils close immediately and its eyes are covered with a special transparent film. The beaver is noted for its building activities — it makes burrows, lodges, dams, and canals. There are dams 120 meters long on the Kesta River and 150 meters long on the Krasnogubka River in the Berezinsky Preserve.
A lodge is a 3 to 5 meter-high dome-shaped hillock made of trunks, branches, twigs, and stones bonded with silt and brushwood. In hard winter one can see exhalation above the lodge which is a sure sign that there is life inside. The lodge is divided into living compartments. Typically, it is located in the midst of a body of water, so it can be reached only by water. The only entrance to the lodge is beneath it, underwater; therefore, to get inside, one has to swim several meters submerged. The Berezinsky Preserve's beavers have coat with light-brown fur, often with a red shade. The fur is splendid, thick and high, with well-developed pile. It traps air bubbles when the animal is underwater, which insulates it from extreme cold. Although small ears hardly protrude from the fur, the beaver is known for its excellent hearing. There are special growths on its lips which join behind the incisors, thus preventing water from getting into the oral cavity when the teeth are outside. This configuration makes gnawing under water possible without rendering the animal breathless with water.
Beavers live in families. Normally, a family is made up of a mated pair and a set of offspring under three years of age. The largest family caught in the Preserve included 16 beavers. As a rule, the family comprises from 5 to 7 individuals. There is a very rigid age hierarchy in the family.
Beavers mate in winter and kits are born in spring covered with fur and with their eyes open. They are active and try very hard to get into the water. However, hard parents keep them inside the lodge. After a time, young beavers are involved in family affairs. They quit the family in one year's time.
Beavers live solely on vegetable food. Their principal diet is willow and aspen sprouts, leaves, and bark. In summer, they feed on meadow, aquatic, and bog plants and their roots. In slow-flowing water reservoirs beavers gather stores of food for winter. Branches, twigs, and small logs are anchored in the water close to their burrows or lodges for winter food. According to experts, in some years up to I ton of such food can be anchored which is then eaten when the river is frozen. Asa result of early steps in the 1950s taken to preserve the beaver population, today their number in the republic is optimal. Nowadays, there are nearly 25,000 beavers in Belarus. They occupy all habitable natural waterways, lakes, and irrigation canals.
This is a valuable commercial rodent species, and beaver hunting is strictly regulated in the Republic of Belarus.
Text from the official flyer “THE BEREZINSKY BIOSPHERE PRESERVE – THE BEAVER” of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
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| Date : 25.11.2002 |
| Metal : Cu/Ni |
| Diameter, mm : 32.00 |
| Weight, g : 13.16 |
| Mintage, St. : 5000 |
Minted by :
The Mint of Poland PLC., Warsaw, Poland |
Design :
S.Zaskevich | | | 
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Ebay-Statistic
(Prices in Euro):
| Year |
Count |
Ave
rage |
Min. |
Max. |
| 2006 |
12 |
14,40 |
9,99 |
20,03 |
| 2007 |
16 |
13,78 |
5,00 |
21,04 |
| 2008 |
8 |
15,22 |
11,50 |
22,97 |
| 2009 |
8 |
15,83 |
7,50 |
23,00 |
| 2010 |
4 |
13,12 |
10,00 |
15,99 |
| 2011 |
0 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
0,00 |
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