The animal on the cover of Essential Microsoft Operations Manager is a beaver. The beaver (castor canadensis) is found in North America except in northernmost Canada and the warmer southern parts of the United States. The largest rodent in North America, it is characterized bydark brown fur, long incisors, and small ears and eyes. It can measure four feet in length and weigh between 40 to 100 pounds in adulthood. Its most noticeable feature is its long, flat tail that it uses both like a rudder for swimming and for balance when standing on its hind legs.

Beavers are industrious builders and spend a great deal of time constructing dams and lodges. Dams are dome shaped and measure as high as 10 feet. Their purpose is to raise the surrounding water level two to three feet so the beavers can build a lodge. Lodges typically have two underwater entrances and the water must be deep enough so that the entrances will not be blocked by ice.

Beaver pelts were once highly prized by North American settlers and it was the beaver trade that drove the exploration of the continent. Pelts were traded as currency and were considered fashionable for top hats and as the trim for royal robes. The beaver pelt trade nearly drove the animals to extinction in the 1800s and it is estimated that only 5 percent of the original beaver population exists today.

Humans see beavers as both a blessing and a curse. The dams that beavers create can help purify water by breaking down pesticides. However, dams can also flood roads and farmlands. Beavers are tenacious and difficult to outsmart but environmentalists are learning ways to prevent beaver damage by creating structures that utilize the beaver's natural building tendencies rather than deterring them.