Three New Beavers from Utah

The study opens a fresh look at Utah’s beaver populations, questioning a century of assumptions that all local animals fit a single, broadly defined subspecies. By examining skins, skulls, and field notes housed in university collections, the authors reveal a surprising range of shapes, colors, and sizes that had never been formally recognized. Their careful observations lead to the proposal of three distinct, previously unnamed kinds, each tied to a specific drainage basin in the state.

In the first detailed description, a small, pale beaver from the Raft River Mountains is set apart by its short tail, light ochraceous‑buff fur and a uniquely broad, short nasal bone. The paper supplies precise measurements in millimetres, uses standardized colour terminology, and compares each new form with known relatives from neighboring regions. This measured, photograph‑free account offers listeners a window into the meticulous work of taxonomy and the hidden diversity that can exist even in familiar wildlife.