What is the national animal of Canada?
The national animal of Canada is the beaver. “Castor Canadensis” or the beaver is the biggest rodent to be found in North America. In the past there was a huge fur trading business centered in Canada. Beaver pelts were the chief export items of Canada to the other parts of the world. Another factor contributing to the animal’s position in Canadian heraldry is that it symbolizes industry on account of its superb engineering skills and habit for construction of lodges and dams.
The country of Canada has a wide array of national symbols representing Canada’s culture. Canadians have always felt overwhelmed with vast American cultural influences. The distinctive Canadian symbols like the maple leaf flag, and Coat of Arms have all the more assumed great importance for the Canadians as marks of their identities.
Students in Canadian schools are taught to imbibe the qualities of the beaver like honesty, nobility, sincerity and dedication. Canadian nickel, Canadian stamps, and different Canadian official memorabilia have the symbol of beaver stamped or carved on them. Editorial cartoonists also frequently make use of the national animal beaver for personification of the entire country, similar to the American’s use of “Uncle Sam”. No other animal has influenced Canadian history to such a great extent as the beaver.
