Tonight I was sitting by the river in a spot where beavers sometime swim by although rarely they feed there actively.
After some time, I noticed an adult beaver swimming and locating itself in a spot where there is some bare alluvial ground between the slope and the stream.
I am not certain whether the beaver had spotted me.
I was near enough and I was not being too stealthy.
These beavers are somewhat familiar with me although they are not habituated to my presence and they probably know that I am not a threat but they also exhibit their normal behaviours (such as tail-slapping if they feel like it or if I startle them).
The adult beaver was largely in the water and I am not sure what its activity was because I did not see, nor hear any feeding.
Distractedly, I half-watched the beaver and half-listened to some other sounds deeper in the riparian forest.
Suddenly, I was surprised by a vigorous but not very loud splash which had been produced by a second beaver who had arrived unbeknownst to me.
I believe, this beaver was the last year’s kit (almost a yearling) because I could tell that the individual had invested energy in the splash but the splash was simply not loud enough due to the individual’s smaller size.
Thereby, I will refer to this individual as a subadult (kit/yearling born in 2023).
The subadult had apparently swum up to its parent (the adult beaver) and that was where (within 1 metre from the adult) the tail-slap occurred.
The tail-slap by the subadult was followed by a much louder slap by the adult next to the subadult (but not as intense as some adult splashes which almost send fountains up in the air).
I kept sitting, and the beavers did not swim off, either, which suggested that they had not been majorly disturbed by my presence although I suppose that the splashes had been induced by me.
I was wondering what was happening here and I recalled a similar event just a week ago in another beaver family one colony downstream where also a small beaver (presumably, a kit) slapped its tail as mightily as it could while the adult was right next to it (within 1 -2 metres) and the other adult of its family was some 400 metres upstream (in no need of a warning, theoretically speaking).
In the former case, too, the little one’s splash was responded to by the adult who have a less vigorous but affirmative slap.
I began thinking that these kits were perhaps realizing that they were now fully fledged members of their family with the rights and responsibilities of any subordinate beaver.
The new situation (their mum’s pregnancy and their growing independence) might have encouraged them to take on the role of a family protector as the subadult probably anticipates soon becoming the older brother/sister to the little ones.
It is worth noting that I suspect the older sibling in both families either dispersed recently (the family upstream which I observed tonight) or is contemplating dispersal (the family downstream).
Thus, the kit of 2023 would become the only subadult in these families and the eldest sibling to the newborn kits.
Up even until now the kits have demonstrated a tendency to eagerly spend time with an adult when the adults were feeding nearby.
I believe that in both cases the subadult had been hanging out near the adult or had recently swum up to it.
I think that the subadult is perhaps developing some hormonal pathways as well as social behaviours that urges the subadult to take on new roles in their family and to become protective of the family (and, more specifically, of the kits that are to be born and that their mummy is currently pregnant with).
I suppose that the subadults wished to demonstrate their intent to become protectors and helpers by warning the adult (who could have been the mother).
The warning, however, unlikely bore the message of ‘beware of threat’ because, firstly, the adult was already nearby (and in both cases I find it difficult to believe that the kit was warning another adult because there was no other adult around tonight and, in the former occasion, the other adult had already slapped its tail upstream) and, secondly, the adult next to the subadult was already aware of my presence (and not overly concerned with it).
As the beavers are relatively used to me, I suspect that the subadults felt safe enough to express their newfound role and my presence was utilized less as a threat and more as an excuse to pretend there was a threat to channel the protective, caring intent into action.
How do we express that we care and that we want to be useful and that we are prepared to guard someone if we do not have words?
We must express these attitudes and wishes through some physical acts.
I think that the beaver subadults used my presence which could be interpreted as a threat, in order to perform behaviours that were less directed at me and more directed at informing their parent(s) of their maturity and preparedness to be the big sibling.
The adult also responded to the subadult’s message by slapping its tail which was not done as vigorously as it would be customary under normal circumstances (e.g., under circumstances whereby I would have startled the adult beaver and the alarm signal had been genuine).
The adult did not invest all of its mass and energy into this splash.
Rather it was also a message, mediated through my presence but directed at the subadult and probably conveying some type of confirmation or amplification of the subadult’s message.
In both cases, the beavers kept localized where they had been before the slaps despite the fact that I had not moved away.
Accordingly, I have begun wondering whether communication in social species at times (in specific context such as the context of demonstrating one’s maturity, loyalty and readiness to protect) has to be mediated by other species (or other conspecifics that do not belong to the social group in question).
Namely, as animals do not have a verbal language, their intent, feelings, attitudes must be conveyed through more physical means but not all messages (e.g., ‘I will defend my younger siblings now that my own big sister/brother is gone and I am taking their place in the family structure’) can be expressed through interactions entirely between the two involved parties (e.g., the subadult cannot express the same intent through grooming its mother as it can through slapping its tail to send a warning in the face of danger).
Perhaps these beaver subadults are very smart kids and rather than seeking out dangerous situations (where the threat is real), they are using these ‘pretend dangers’ (my presence) to play out the behaviours that carry their intent.
It is interesting to think that communication between individuals of the same social group might occur through pathways involving individuals who are not part of the group but who must be part of the message.
Of course, individuals of the same social group communicate within contexts where other individuals (of other species or other social groups) are involved (e.g., by strategizing defense or offense).
However, in these situations, the non-related individual is the centre of the action as well as the focal part of the message.
In the context I have described regarding these beaver subadults, I believe that I was the least significant party in this communication event.
It might have not been about me at all, and the main communication (with its intent, motivation and actual feeling) could have happened between these pairs of beavers (the growing-up subadult and their parent who was possibly their pregnant mother).
We all have psychological (and perhaps physiological due to hormonal production) need to express our attitudes, intents, motivations and affiliations.
It would be very smart (from the perspective of survival) of the species to have evolved communication methods that help them convey certain messages (which might be important in order to reassure others and to keep others healthy) without putting themselves into actual danger.
I was very touched by these courageous and dedicated subadults, and I believe so were their moms who could grow the kits inside of them peacefully in knowledge that the last year’s kit is ready to take on the mature role of the big brother/sister and that this subadult already has developed concern for the new members of the family that are about to be born.
Notes by Ieva 