Why do beavers have orange incisor teeth?

Beaver by Elli60

Beavers, the second largest rodents in the world, are very unique animals. Whether it's the habit of building dams to live, gnawing on trees or secreting castoreum that smells like vanilla, beavers always find a way to fascinate us. Apart from these things, beavers also have something very special about their front teeth or incisors. These animals, unlike most other animals, have orange-coloured incisors. But

why are the incisors orange in colour?

The reason for the orange colour of incisors lies in the mineral content of their tooth enamel (the outermost layer of the teeth). The enamel of beavers contains iron which gives the incisors their orange colour.

The iron in the enamel not only makes the incisors orange but also makes them strong against mechanical stress and resistant to acids. This is why these animals are able to gnaw on trees so easily.

The incisors are also self-sharpening because the hard enamel is present only on the front side and the soft dentine is exposed at the back which wears off from time to time from gnawing on trees and gives them their chisel shape.