Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

Point Arena mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa nigra)

Kingdom: Animalia
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Aplodontiidae

Listing Status:   

General Information

Mountain beavers are the only extant member of the family Aplodontidae, and are considered the most primitive living rodents. Mountain beavers are stout, compact and cylindrical and have a broad, massive, laterally compressed skull. They average about one foot in length and two to four pounds in weight. Mountain beavers have small eyes, rounded ears, and a distinctive cylindrical stump of a tail. Each forepaw has an opposable thumb and all digits have long curved claws for digging. Mountain beavers are not closely related to true beavers (Castor spp.), which are semi-aquatic. The Point Arena mountain beaver is one of seven subspecies of mountain beaver. Certain cranial and other characteristics separate the Point Arena mountain beaver from other subspecies of mountain beavers. The most obvious of these characteristics is the unique blackish coloration.

Lead Region:  California/Nevada Region (Region 8)
Date Listed: Dec 12, 1991

» Federal Register Documents

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 3 of 3 )
Date Citation Page Title
03/05/2008 73 FR 11945 11950 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California, Nevada and Southern Oregon
12/12/1991 56 FR 64716 64723 ETWP; Aplodontia rufa nigra (Point Arena Mountain Beaver) Determined to be Endangered; 56 FR 64716 64723
02/15/1991 56 FR 6353 6359 ETWP; Aplodontia rufa nigra (Point Arena Mountain Beaver) Proposed as Endangered; 56 FR 6353 6359

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
06/02/1998 Point Arena Mountain Beaver Aplodontia rufa nigra (Rafinesque) Recovery Plan View Implementation Progress Final
Other Recovery Documents (Showing 1 of 1 )
Date Citation Page Title Document Type
03/05/2008 73 FR 11945 11950 Initiation of 5-Year Reviews of 58 Species in California and Nevada; Availability of Completed 5-Year Reviews in California, Nevada and Southern Oregon
  • Notice 5-year Review, Initiation
  • Five Year Review
    Date Title
    04/01/2009 Point Arena Mountain Beaver 5-Year Review

    » Critical Habitat

    No critical habitat rules have been published for the Point Arena mountain beaver.

    » Conservation Plans

    Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) (learn more) (Showing 2 of 2 )
    HCP Plan Summaries
    AT&T - Point Arena Mountain Beaver Low Effect
    Fisher Family

    » Petitions

    No petition findings have been published for the Point Arena mountain beaver.

    » Life History

    No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.

    » Other Resources

    NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.

    ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

    Last updated: February 9, 2010