Plutonian snow-beaver

The Plutonian snow-beaver was a mammalian animal lifeform.

Snow-beavers required an exceptionally cold climate or they would suffer heat prostration, which was likely how they earned a name suggestive of being able to survive on the frigid dwarf planet Pluto. They resembled Earth beavers, though they had white fur, and appeared to have a predilection for building dam structures.

The species was endangered in the Federation in the 23rd century. A carefully-controlled habitat for them was maintained on the Federation wildlife preserve planet Salvum.

History
In 2267, the crew of a pirate Grotus transport used sleeping gas on the staff of the preserve, then fled, successfully evading the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). Chief zoologist Axel Carruthers flew James T. Kirk, Spock, and Montgomery Scott in a survey plane to inspect the habitats. They flew above two Plutonian snow-beavers who appeared to be in the middle of building a dam. The pirates seemed not to have tampered with the habitat. 


 * Carruthers stated that the beavers required a temperature below -1043 degrees Fahrenheit, which was nearly 600 degrees below absolute zero. Climates near absolute zero would have neither trees nor rivers. Carruthers must have misspoken and was using a different temperature scale.