(Photos) Beaver holes in Des Plaines River ice

The Des Plaines River west of Chicago is teeming with life even in winter--including beavers. The Des Plaines is pretty much completely frozen over--but the rodents find a wave to survive. One way is to use the always-growing teeth to carve holes in the ice.

I saw a beaver chewing on the bark of a twig just before it dove into this ice hole.

These pictures were all taken at Dam Number 4 Woods East in Des Plaines, Illinois.

In the thin ice above this beaver hole you can see an air bubble and a submerged branch. The brown stains are beaver droppings.

This was the cleanest of the three holes.

And now some perspective. The beaver ice holes are just past this bend of the Des Plaines.