ZSL London Zoo Mountain Beavers

[sooty mangabey]

In 1962, six Mountain Beavers (Aplodontia rufa) arrived at London Zoo.

No mention of any Mountain Beavers in Europe is on Zootierliste; Weigl's Longevity book lists a few (not very long-lived ones) in various American zoos.

Does anybody know anything about the London animals? How long did they last for? Were they ever put on show?

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

I could be wrong but if you go through one of the tunnels and come up next to the hippos there is a small enclosure on your right that I seem to remember has a sign on it that says something about Beavers. I think in the past it has had meerkats and one time Rhinoceros Iguanas.

I could be completely wrong but hope this helps a bit.

 

[Dassie rat]

I remember that the enclosures contained black beavers that had been presented to the Queen, possibly after a royal visit to Canada.

 

[sooty mangabey]

I remember that the enclosures contained black beavers that had been presented to the Queen, possibly after a royal visit to Canada.

Yes, this is correct. As far as I know, this enclosure was used for Castor canadensis - a very different species to the Mountain Beaver, which isn't really a beaver at all. As @ajmcwhipsnade says, the enclosure was also - rather half-heartedly - used for some other species over the years, but always seemed to be a wasted corner at the zoo. Which leaves the Moutain Beavers as something of a mystery!

 

[Dassie rat]

I remember the enclosure being used for striped skunks and later for rhinoceros iguanas.

 

[Tim May]

Which leaves the Mountain Beavers as something of a mystery!

To add to the mystery there is an inconsistency within the ZSL Annual Report for 1962 about the actual number of mountain “beavers” acquired that year.

On page 13 it records that four mountain beavers were received in 1962 whilst on page 49, of the same document, it lists that six mountain beavers were obtained.

These were the first mountain “beavers” at London Zoo; they are listed in the Annual Report as a genus new to the collection.

I remember that the enclosures contained black beavers that had been presented to the Queen, possibly after a royal visit to Canada.

Indeed; the Hudson's Bay Company presented a pair of beavers to the Queen during a royal visit to Canada.

 

[pipaluk]

I could be wrong but if you go through one of the tunnels and come up next to the hippos there is a small enclosure on your right that I seem to remember has a sign on it that says something about Beavers. I think in the past it has had meerkats and one time Rhinoceros Iguanas.

I could be completely wrong but hope this helps a bit.

I think that enclosure no longer exists following the building of the lemur walkthrough.

 

[vogelcommando]

Indeed very little known about this species in captivity but I found a note about a captive longivity-record of 3 1/2 years and that males can be very aggresive, killing other specimens of their own kind. No mention where this should have been happened.

 

[Tim May]

Indeed very little known about this species in captivity but I found a note about a captive longivity-record of 3 1/2 years and that males can be very aggresive, killing other specimens of their own kind. No mention where this should have been happened.

The captive longevity record of three and a half years is detailed in the book that “Sooty” referred to in this thread’s first post; this was for an individual that lived at Oregon Zoo from 29th June 1975 to 28th December 1978.

Reference:-
“Longevity of Mammals in Captivity from the Living Collections of the World” (Richard Weigl; 2005).

Regarding the aggression you refer to:- In his book “The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity" (1964) Crandall (quoting Pfeiffer) comments that the males “invariably killed cage mates of either sex”.

I will endeavour to find out more about the London Zoo mountain "beavers".

 

[Crowthorne]

I think that enclosure no longer exists following the building of the lemur walkthrough.

Yes, that enclosure has gone, tarmacked over as part of the lemur walkthrough development

 

[sooty mangabey]

I will endeavour to find out more about the London Zoo mountain "beavers".

Thanks Tim; I would certainly be very interested in anything you discover. I don't suppose you remember seeing these animals on show, in the early 60s? I'm not even sure whether they ever made it that far....

 

[gentle lemur]

I remember a photo of a live specimen against a plain background from a book about the world's mammals by Desmond Morris. This must have been 'The Mammals: A Guide to Living Species' (1965). I recall thinking that a photo of a captive animal of such an unusual species must have come from the ZSL archives. Although perhaps not from the 1962 importation.

 

[FBBird]

I remember a photo of a live specimen against a plain background from a book about the world's mammals by Desmond Morris. This must have been 'The Mammals: A Guide to Living Species' (1965). I recall thinking that a photo of a captive animal of such an unusual species must have come from the ZSL archives. Although perhaps not from the 1962 importation.

Crandall's 'The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity' -- can't find my copy just now -- refers to the difficulty of keeping Mountain Beavers together, and refers to individuals kept off show at the Bronx.

 

[Tim May]

Thanks Tim; I would certainly be very interested in anything you discover. I don't suppose you remember seeing these animals on show, in the early 60s? I'm not even sure whether they ever made it that far....

I have many childhood memories from London Zoo but regret I have no recollection of seeing mountain "beavers" in the early 1960s. I was a very young child at that time and rodents, however unusual, didn't interest me nearly as much as elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras.....

Given the generally short lifespan of this species in captivity, even if they did go on show, it is quite possible that the period they were on exhibit didn't coincide with any of my visits.

I remember a photo of a live specimen against a plain background from a book about the world's mammals by Desmond Morris. This must have been 'The Mammals: A Guide to Living Species' (1965). I recall thinking that a photo of a captive animal of such an unusual species must have come from the ZSL archives. Although perhaps not from the 1962 importation.

My copy of that book is currently stored in an inaccessible place but I think that this is the same photograph as the picture reproduced in the ZSL Annual Report for 1962.

 

[Tim May]

Crandall's 'The Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity' -- can't find my copy just now -- refers to the difficulty of keeping Mountain Beavers together, and refers to individuals kept off show at the Bronx.

Crandall refers to two specimens at the Bronx Zoo that were housed separately in "abandoned concrete bins" that were once used for breeding and storing earthworms for the platypuses!

These arrived on 28th September 1960 and, sadly, died 12th November 1961; the cause of death was believed to be the result of "emission of gases from a nearby furnace".

 

[robmv]

I remember a photo of a live specimen against a plain background from a book about the world's mammals by Desmond Morris. This must have been 'The Mammals: A Guide to Living Species' (1965). I recall thinking that a photo of a captive animal of such an unusual species must have come from the ZSL archives. Although perhaps not from the 1962 importation.

Here's the image in question:

Mountain Beaver or Sewellel (Aplodontia rufa)

• robmv
• 24 Apr 2017
• 4

The photograph is credited to the Zoological Society of London and the dates seem to "fit". Unfortunately, there is nothing in the text to shed any further light.

 

[Tim May]

Here's the image in question:

The photograph is credited to the Zoological Society of London and the dates seem
"fit". Unfortunately, there is nothing in the text to shed any further light.

This picture is is extremely similar, but not identical, to the image published in the ZSL Annual Report for 1962.

The two photographs were clearly taken on the same occasion and within moments of each other but, between shots, the rodent has moved slightly.

Both photographs clearly illustrate that the so-called mountain "beaver" lacks the typical beaver tail.

 

[Dassie rat]

I'm working at the ZSL Library tomorrow and I hope I can come up with some more information.

 

[Batto]

I wonder whether the enigmatic Mountain Beavers of London brought another particular species along as "stowaways"...The Great Giant Flea Hunt

 

[Dassie rat]

The 1961 International Zoo Yearbook lists a male mountain beaver at Seattle Zoo.

I have been through the Zoological Society of London Annual Reports from 1959-1964. The 1962 Annual Report says that London Zoo received its first mountain beavers; there were four of them according to the collection report, but six according to the List of animals received. There is a photograph of one of them opposite page 16. Dr. S.E. Dicker donated one of the mountain beavers. The 1963 report says that London Zoo received another mountain beaver.

The 1962 Annual Report has a photograph of a small-scaled tree pangolin obtained by the zoo.