E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817)
Mountain Beaver
Family: Aplodontiidae
Photo of species

© Jim Riley  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #15708)

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Distribution of Aplodontia rufa in British Columbia
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Introduction


The Mountain Beaver is not actually a beaver. It is a forest-dwelling rodent that could be mistaken for a muskrat or a juvenile marmot at first glance, but it is actually quite distinctive. It is a thick-bodied rodent that is generally dark (grey) above and tan to light grey below, with tiny ears and small eyes, short, furry tail, long claws for burrowing on the front and hind feet, and (often) a white spot below the ear (Nagorsen 2005). In British Columbia, Mountain Beaver often have white patches on the chest, stomach and flanks (Nagosen 2005).

Two subspecies are found in BC: A. r. rufa and A. r. rainieri. These subspecies overlap in morphology, but are readily distinguishable using DNA analysis (Ransome 2003).

Global Range

In North America, the Mountain Beaver is found from the South Coast region of British Columba, south to the Sierra Nevada mountain range of Southern California (Nagorsen 2005).

Distribution in British Columbia

According to Ransome (2003), the exact geographic extent of the Mountain Beaver and its two subspecies in BC is not well understood. Generally, however, the species is found in the Cascades (eastern slopes) and the Fraser Valley south of the Fraser River, and there are no confirmed records north or northwest of the Fraser River. Distribution of the two subspecies is described by Ransome: “A. r. rufa is found south of the Fraser River and its range may extend from Hope to Langley in the Lower Mainland of B.C. A. r. rainieri is found east of the Fraser River and Hope, and extends west to Princeton and along the Cascade Mountains from the Canada-US border north to Merritt and Lytton.” Because of difficulty in separating the two subspecies, the exact boundary separating the two subspecies in the province is unknown, however it is generally in an area between Chilliwack and Manning Park (Ransome 2003). Note that although there are confirmed records of Mountain Beaver in the Langley area, these may not represent persistent populations--the westernmost persistent populations are Sumas/Chilliwack Mountains and Vedder Mountains.

Notes:

Mountain Beaver are the world's most primitive rodent and have a primitive kidney that prevents them from being able to conserve water by concentrating urine (Nagorsen 2005, Ransome 2003). Because of this, they need to have large quantities of succulent vegetation and/or water available in order to survive (Ransome 2003).

This is a solitary, burrowing species with a small home range. Nagorsen (2005) describes the burrows as containing a nest chamber, tunnels for refuse and waste, toilet chambers, and several (sometimes plugged) tunnels that open to the surface.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
NativeS4YellowSC (May 2012)
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Notes

View a video of the Mountain Beaver.

Additional Photo Sources

Species References

BC Ministry of Forests. 1997. Forest Practices Code: Species and Plant Community Accounts for Identified Wildlife in BC. Volume I. BC Ministry of Forsts, Victoria. Available online.

Gyug, L. W. 2000. Status, distribution and biology of the Mountain Beaver, Aplodontia rufa, in Canada. The Canadian Field-Naturalist 114: 476-90.

Nagorsen, David W. 2005. Rodents and Lagomorphs of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum Handbook. Victoria.

Ransome, Doug, 2003. Distribution, Population Dynamics, Habitat Associations, and the Influence of Forest Management on Mountain Beavers. Annual Report on Project R2003-0123. Forestry Innovation Investment. Available online.

Smithsonian 2010. North American Mammals: Mountain Beaver. Online Resource.

General References


Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-06-14 11:25:42 PM]
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