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The stately Beaver (Read 1470 times)
Jan 29th, 2012 at 5:20pm

Steve M   Offline
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A quote from Howtospotacanadian. Thought I'd share it, Ehh.


  You can tell a lot about a country by its national animal. The United States uses the bald eagle: a large bird of prey. The United Kingdom has a lion: an imposing carnivore. China has a dragon, Germany has an eagle, India has a Bengal tiger, Italy has a wolf. All of these animals are strong, proud and majestic. They are regal. They show the world that the country is question is large, grand and impressive.

Canada has a beaver.

Beavers are large rodents. Of course, they're not the largest rodents. No, choosing the largest of a species would be very un-Canadian. No, beavers are the second-largest rodents in the world. They are very slow on land and they frighten easily. They would probably lose in a fight to any of the other national animals listed above.

Well, that's not entirely true. Dragons are fictional. Even a beaver could beat up a fictional creature. It would be a close fight though.

However, what beavers lack in size, strength and imposing physical stature they make up in ingenuity.

A beaver dam is a pretty impressive structure. Beavers are hard workers and quite intelligent. The dams that they build are quite strong and beavers are able to build new dams or repair damaged ones quite quickly. Beavers work together with other beavers in order to build their dams.

Small, hard working, social and intelligent?

Yes, it makes sense that the beaver is Canada's national animal.

Of course, those traits are not the reason why the beaver is the national animal. No, like many other great symbols, the beaver is a martyr. When the Europeans originally began settling Canada, the fur trade was very important. More often than not it was beaver pelts that were being traded.

That's right, it was in death that the beaver became the symbol of Canada.

The conversation that decided this designation must have been completely bizarre:

“So... this country needs a national animal.”
“Hmm... you know that little annoying rodent we've been killing for a while now? How about that?”
“Works for me! Well, now that we're done with that, let's play hockey.”

 

...
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Reply #1 - Jan 29th, 2012 at 7:58pm

Flying Trucker   Offline
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Well done Steve... Smiley

If it was good enough for DeHavilland of Canada to honour the Beaver then that is good enough for me... Wink

 

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
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Reply #2 - Jan 29th, 2012 at 8:26pm

Webb   Offline
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What about the elegant Cameltoe?
 

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Reply #3 - Jan 29th, 2012 at 10:01pm

Ang2dogs   Offline
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Webb wrote on Jan 29th, 2012 at 8:26pm:
What about the elegant Cameltoe?


Isn't that the national animal of Pontang?
 
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Reply #4 - Jan 29th, 2012 at 10:48pm

expat   Offline
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Ang2dogs wrote on Jan 29th, 2012 at 10:01pm:
Webb wrote on Jan 29th, 2012 at 8:26pm:
What about the elegant Cameltoe?


Isn't that the national animal of Pontang?



...

Matt
 

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Reply #5 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 11:19am

patchz   Offline
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Grin I'll leave it here, but I really think this thread belongs in the humor section. Roll Eyes
 

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Reply #6 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 12:09pm

Flying Trucker   Offline
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Hi Larry... Smiley

Not sure of Steve's intentions when he posted this thread but lately like the last few months there has been a woman politician who wants the Beaver changed to a Polar Bear.    Tongue

Made quite a scene for awhile.

Not sure if they tarred and feathered her and ran her sorry ass out of Ottawa or not.

The Hudson's Bay Company which was the largest company in the world at one point was built on the Beaver Pelt.

The Canadian interior north of the Great Lakes and accessible by canoe was opened because of the Beaver Pelts.

The Beaver is a symbol on our money.

Far too many folks come to Canada, get a foot in the political door, scream Happy Holidays and try to change Canadian Heritage when they should have stayed where they came from and made things better... Wink

Those that were and are born here should pay a little closer attention in their History Lessons... Smiley
 

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug
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Reply #7 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 1:53pm

Hagar   Offline
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Steve M wrote on Jan 29th, 2012 at 5:20pm:
The United Kingdom has a lion: an imposing carnivore.

Now here was me thinking it's the British bulldog. Tongue

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Reply #8 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 3:15pm

ozzy72   Offline
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Doug, time to go to SpecSavers! THIS is a British Bulldog Wink
...
 

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Reply #9 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 3:34pm

jetprop   Offline
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waiting for a drinking irish wolfhound now. Grin
 

...
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Reply #10 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 4:48pm

andy190   Offline
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You lot are lucky, England has a Bulldog, Canada has a Beaver. This is what New Zealand has:

...

The Kiwi is our National animal. Turns out it's an Auzzie. Angry
 

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Reply #11 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 6:11pm

Steve M   Offline
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andy190 wrote on Jan 30th, 2012 at 4:48pm:
You lot are lucky, England has a Bulldog, Canada has a Beaver. This is what New Zealand has:

[img]

The Kiwi is our National animal. Turns out it's an Auzzie. Angry



Grin Grin Gosh Andy, does it make any ferocious sounds or attack anything? Maybe chew through a small stick, perhaps?
 

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Reply #12 - Jan 30th, 2012 at 7:06pm

andy190   Offline
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It eats bugs. It can't even fly now but they flew from Australia. Huh

The scariest thing about them it is their enclosure. It's all dark & spooky so the Kiwis eyes don't get hurt.
 

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Reply #13 - Feb 1st, 2012 at 9:09pm

Club508   Offline
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I'd say the U.S.'s bird SHOULD be the headless chickens.  Specifically the ones running around in our government's politics. Tongue

Kiwis actually can be a bit interesting.  I actually find them kind of cute/funny. Smiley

Looked em' up on wikipedia once before, and found some interesting stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi

Some of the more intersting lines I found were:
    At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world.  Producing the huge egg places a lot of demands on the female. For the thirty days it takes to grow the fully developed egg the female must eat three times her normal amount of food. Two to three days before the egg is laid there is little space left inside the female for her stomach and she is forced to fast.

    Kiwi have a highly developed sense of smell, unusual in a bird, and are the only birds with nostrils at the end of their long beaks.  Because their nostrils are located at the end of their long beaks, Kiwi can locate insects and worms underground using their keen sense of smell, without actually seeing or feeling them.

Kind of interesting creatures aren't they? Smiley Cheesy
 

...
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Reply #14 - Feb 1st, 2012 at 9:39pm

andy190   Offline
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The Kiwi is an interesting bird but for a National animal it is a bit  Undecided.

And it turns out that it is an Australian. Angry

New Zealanders are called kiwis so now we're being called Aussies. Embarrassed
 

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Reply #15 - Feb 2nd, 2012 at 3:35pm

Raoul98   Offline
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The netherlands has the lion, how original Angry and in my town we have snakes in the comunity flag.
 

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Reply #16 - Feb 2nd, 2012 at 4:03pm

jetprop   Offline
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what fierce deadly animals do we have in holland?
i supose,adders but thats all realy...

and in my old town flag(i moved to ireland) there was a cow and 3 trees. Grin
 

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Reply #17 - Feb 2nd, 2012 at 4:56pm

Raoul98   Offline
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That is so cool Huh Maar je kan nog wel nederlands, or not??
 

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Reply #18 - Feb 2nd, 2012 at 5:34pm

Bud Greene   Offline
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I think the national animal for the U.S. should be the honey badger.  Many of the people in this country are just like it.
For those of you unfamiliar with the honey badger, it just doesn't give a $**+.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
 
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Reply #19 - Feb 2nd, 2012 at 10:14pm

Webb   Offline
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Benjamin Franklin's view on the US "national animal"

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."
 

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Reply #20 - Feb 3rd, 2012 at 10:04am

jetprop   Offline
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Raoul98 wrote on Feb 2nd, 2012 at 4:56pm:
That is so cool Huh Maar je kan nog wel nederlands, or not??


ja hoor,aleen heb ik soms problemen met heden en varleden tijd omdat ik bijna de hele dag engels praat.

webb:
the turkey has a realy bad thing tough:they are always eaten. Roll Eyes
 

...
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Reply #21 - Feb 4th, 2012 at 3:38am

Ang2dogs   Offline
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I  thought this topic was about the myjistic bearded clam?
 
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Reply #22 - Feb 4th, 2012 at 7:12am

Raoul98   Offline
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jetprop wrote on Feb 3rd, 2012 at 10:04am:
Raoul98 wrote on Feb 2nd, 2012 at 4:56pm:
That is so cool Huh Maar je kan nog wel nederlands, or not??


ja hoor,aleen heb ik soms problemen met heden en varleden tijd omdat ik bijna de hele dag engels praat.

webb:
the turkey has a realy bad thing tough:they are always eaten. Roll Eyes


I want to go and live somewhere else but i can't!!!
 

No worries, be happy
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