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Okay naturalists, help me out. What kind of animal is eating or clawing this tree? There's no evidence that it's a animal human -- no sign of ax or saw marks. The tree grows (it's large) on the edge of the duck pond pictured in the blog header. It's one of the largest; none of the others show these marks? And ideas?
Looks like a human chiseled out bark with adz to me
ReplyDeleteI'd guess a beaver. Beavers often ring trees they want to clear. They're easier to down when they are dead. They also like to eat the soft layers full of sap immediately below the bark, but when they do this they seldom ring the tree because they know that kills the tree.
ReplyDeleteI guessed beaver -- but doubted myself. This pond is tucked away in a quite urban/suburban setting, surrounded by malls and condo complexes. There is a sort of stream that feeds the pond, but at present it looks almost dry. Guess that might attract a lonely beaver. One more case of wildlife adapting to the strange environment we are creating.
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