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| That was a blank index card, 10x15cm, onto which I put that stamp, got it postmarked by "philatelic mail-back", and then I glued that cut-out from a book, showing a cool "sectioned" view (how is that called?) of a beaver's dwelling. So I created a UNICATE/UNIKAT, custom, non-traditional maximum card with a very representative view about the beaver, capturing the ESSENCE, the BOTTOM LINE, the SPIRIT of that subject - the beaver species. I love it! :) |
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| The backside, where that cut-out continues, and where I also glued another image with text. |
"The beaver (genus Castor) is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) (native to North America) andEurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) (Eurasia). Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material.
The North American beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6–12 million.
This population decline is due to extensive hunting for fur, for glands used as medicine and perfume, and because their harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses."
Poor beavers...victims of "the quest for beaver".
"Both beaver testicles and castoreum, a bitter-tasting secretion with a slightly fetid odor contained in the castor sacs of male or female beaver, have been articles of trade for use in traditional medicine. Yupik(Eskimo) medicine used dried beaver testicles like willow bark to relieve pain. Dried beaver testicles were also used as effective contraception.[46] Beaver testicles were exported from Levant (a region centered onLebanon and Israel) from the tenth to nineteenth century.[47] Claudius Aelianus comically described beavers chewing off their testicles to preserve themselves from hunters, which is not possible because the beaver's testicles are inside its body. European beavers (Castor fiber) were eventually hunted nearly to extinction in part for the production of castoreum, which was used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic. Castoreum was described in the 1911 British Pharmaceutical Codex for use in dysmenorrhea and hysterical conditions (i.e. pertaining to the womb), for raising blood pressure and increasing cardiac output. The activity of castoreum has been credited to the accumulation of salicin from willow trees in the beaver's diet, which is transformed to salicylic acid and has an action very similar to aspirin.[48]
Castoreum continues to be used in perfume production.
Much of the early European exploration and trade of Canada was based on the quest for beaver.[49] The most valuable part of the beaver is its inner fur whose many minute barbs make it excellent for felting, especially for hats. In Canada a 'made beaver' or castor gras that an Indian had worn or slept on was more valuable than a fresh skin since this tended to wear off the outer guard hairs."
Ladies, and other perfume users: do YOU know where YOUR perfume comes from?
Do you even WANT to know?
Keywords: animal sacs [translation: anal glands], excrement...
"Animal sources
- Ambergris: Lumps of oxidized fatty compounds, whose precursors were secreted and expelled by the sperm whale. Ambergris should not be confused with yellow amber, which is used in jewelry. Because the harvesting of ambergris involves no harm to its animal source, it remains one of the few animalic fragrancing agents around which little controversy now exists.
- Castoreum: Obtained from the odorous sacs of the North American beaver.
- Civet: Also called Civet Musk, this is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family Viverridae, related to the mongoose. The World Society for the Protection of Animals investigated African civets caught for this purpose.[12]
- Hyraceum: Commonly known as "Africa Stone", is the petrified excrement of the Rock Hyrax.[13]
- Honeycomb: From the honeycomb of the honeybee. Both beeswax and honey can be solvent extracted to produce an absolute. Beeswax is extracted with ethanol and the ethanol evaporated to produce beeswax absolute.
- Deer musk: Originally derived from the musk sacs from the Asian musk deer, it has now been replaced by the use of synthetic muskssometimes known as "white musk"."
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In the top image (my maxicard), do you see a heart shape?
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I barely see one, to the right of the image, formed by the contour of light-blue water where a beaver swims.
![Location of Botswana (dark blue)– in Africa (light blue & dark grey)– in the African Union (light blue) — [Legend]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_Botswana_AU_Africa.svg)
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