I’ve had a few over the years grade western that were lighter brown but not quite this light. Is this a common color for you guys? The one on the right is what I see a lot of here now. I remember exactly where I caught the one on the left in Vermont this year because even with a more brown beaver up there this one jumped out when I caught it.

We see pale beaver especially in western areas that have a more alkali high pH soil. The lighter one you show is very common for eastern Oregon, Idaho, etc. In western Oregon we have everything from that light to the darker one you show on the right. (More acidic soils).

Interesting.. you believe diet has something to do with it as much as genetics?

That beaver on the left looks exactly like 95% plus of Missouri flattails.

Wow. That color is an oddity here. I’ve never had one that pale in Nj, Pa, Vermont or Maryland until that one.

I've gone back and forth in my own mind about how much is genes and how much is diet. But I can tell you that in the very acidic soils along our Oregon coast not only are beaver darker, so are otter, and rats. Iron that is really soluble in acidic soils helps create darker pigments. Iron is not readily available in high pH soils and beaver, otter and rats are all paler there.

But I'm sure that genes also play a role.

Funny you mention darker near the coast. The closer I get here to brackish or saltwater here, the darker the beaver seemed to get. And the majority of black muskrats here for me anyway seem to be right on the brink of saltwater.

Do you get any silver bellies?

Not something I’ve noticed that stood out. Biggest thing I’ve noticed down here is the overall darker ones. When I get them all together later this week I’ll keep an eye out. But from here anyway most are darker than those bellies.