Mountain Beaver
Aplodontia rufa
Silhouette: Daderot · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilyAplodontiidae (Mountain Beavers)
- GenusAplodontia
- SpeciesAplodontia rufa (Mountain Beaver)
About the Mountain Beaver
The mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) or sewellel is a North American rodent. It is the only living member of its genus, Aplodontia, and family, Aplodontiidae. It should not be confused with true North American and Eurasian beavers, to which it is not closely related; the mountain beaver is instead more closely related to squirrels. There are seven subspecies of mountain beaver, six of which are found in California and three of which are endemic to the state.
The name sewellel was recorded by Lewis and Clark who misunderstood the Chinook word [ʃʔulal] (which they annotated as "she-wal-lal"), the name for garments made from their skin; the Chinook themselves call it "ogwoolal" (pronounced [əɡʷulal]). "Mountain beaver" is a misnomer as the animal is not a true beaver nor restricted to mountains.
The name Aplodontia ("simple tooth") is in reference to the single large basin comprising the bulk of each cheek tooth. The specific epithet, rufa, means red or reddish. Most references use the spelling "Aplodontidae" for the family name. This has been deemed incorrect due to the technical rules of converting a genus name into a family name. The proper conversion of Aplodontia... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Mountain Beaver in Olympic National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Olympic National Park
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Olympic Marmot
Marmota olympus
Yellow-pine Chipmunk
Tamias amoenus
Townsend's Chipmunk
Tamias townsendii
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
Townsend's Vole
Microtus townsendii
Pacific Jumping Mouse
Zapus trinotatus
Bushy-tailed Wood Rat
Neotoma cinerea
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mountain Beaver in Olympic National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Mountain Beaver sighting in Olympic National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mountain Beaver in Olympic National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Mountain Beaver in Olympic National Park in our monthly data.