Oleg Zabluda's blog
Sunday, September 16, 2012
 
Lots of stories go like: A man/woman/children swim/fish in a river/lake and a rabid North American Beaver (Castor...
Lots of stories go like: A man/woman/children swim/fish in a river/lake and a rabid North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) "Канадский бобр" bites him/her/them [1].

When I was swimming in the surf in Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, CA, just north of San Diego, a rabid beaver did not bite me.

What is that you say, that's stupid, 'cause beavers don't live in salt water, especially in an ocean? In Russian they do. Sea Otter in Russian is called "Sea Beaver".

That's zoologically incorrect, because Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris), should more correctly be called "Морская Выдра", because it's very close to North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) "Американская Речная Выдра", and other Otters, which are all carnivores from the Weasel family (Mustelidae) "Куньи". River beavers are the second largest rodent in the world after capybara, growing to 55lb. Sea Otters grow to 100 lb, making them the heaviest members of the weasel family.

Sea Otters were observed twice in Southern California in 2011, once near Laguna Beach and once at Zuniga Point Jetty, near San Diego. These are the first documented sightings of otters this far south in 30 years.

So it was possible, in theory, for me to have been bitten by a 100lb rabid Sea Beaver (Rus) in the surf in San Diego.

[1]
Lillian Peterson, 83, Attacked By Rabid Beaver While Swimming In Virginia Lake ("it knocked me over and started chewing on my leg")
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/07/lillian-peterson-83-attacked-by-beaver_n_1863487.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57491847/scouts-stone-rabid-beaver-to-death-after-attack/

Rabid beaver chases children in Fairfax; 2nd attack in a week
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/12/rabid-beaver-chases-children-fairfax-2nd-attack-we/?page=all

https://plus.google.com/112065430692128821190/posts/SXRFDyQBqaY



Labels:


- posted by Oleg Zabluda @ 10:54 PM | permalink | | | technorati | bloglines | feedster
| |

Home

Powered by Blogger