For beavers, monogamy is more about practicality than romance. They team up for life as a way to increase their chances of survival. Although one of their primary sources of food is tree bark, its lack of nutritional value means that beavers need to eat a lot of bark to keep themselves going. ⁠ ⁠ So, by pairing up, couples can split their workload and ensure everything gets done. In a 2015 study by Sam M J G Steyaert, Andreas Zedrosser, and Frank Rossel for Oecologia, the researchers found that tasks divided between pairs included maintaining their dams and lodges, guarding their territory, and sharing the parenting duties.⁠ ⁠ _____⁠ ⁠ Source: BBC Earth⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #science #biology #beavers #beaver