| a small, burrowing rodent, Aplodontia rufa, of the Pacific coastal region of North America, considered the most primitive living rodent. |
| mountain beaver n. See sewellel. |
se·wel·lel  (sə-wěl'əl)  n. A small, thick-bodied rodent (Aplodontia rufa) of the Pacific coast of North America, having tiny eyes and small ears and usually found in communal burrows dug in the banks of streams. Also called mountain beaver. [Chinook šwalál, robe of sewellel skins.] |
mountain beaver
a muskrat-sized burrowing rodent found only in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Unlike the American and Eurasian beavers (genus Castor), the mountain beaver has an extremely short tail and is less than a half metre (1.6 feet) in length; weight is less than 2 kg (4.4 pounds)
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