Rodent signs...

[Quixoticgeek]

On a recent trip I camped a few meters away from a pine tree with an interesting pattern of markings.

My initial thought was it was some vandal of a human taking something out on a poor tree. But on closer inspection it looked more like it was the result of teeth, not steel.

Have I found evidence of a beaver? I was only a meter or 3 from a river.

While I was bivvi'd there my tarp was constantly pelted with something, when I had a look I found some seeds on the tarp/ground.

Is this the result of a squirrel up in the tree dropping their empties, or is this the tree shedding them?

Thanks

Julia

 

[Adze]

Looks like the beaver has only just started on that one Julia - got any trail cams?

After a while... it'll look like this.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Adze,

So it is beaver that's done that?

Haven't got any trail cams, but I do intend to head back to that area with more local knowledge, and a long lens on the camera.

J

 

[Jack Bounder]

Where is the tree? Kent?

 

[Quixoticgeek]

No, Luxembourg.

J

 

[Quixoticgeek]

That said, I have seen similarly gnawed trees in Kent, as well as seen a Beaver in the Stour.

J

 

[Adze]

So it is beaver that's done that?

I'm no expert, but it certainly looks like it.

I can't think of anything else which would gnaw the bark off a tree like that.

 

[santaman2000]

It looks a lot like beaver. How big is the tree?

No, those aren't squirrels dropping their empties. When a squirrel eats pine nuts it drops the cone (looking something like a corn cob after you've eaten the kernels off it)

 

[Robson Valley]

I'll guess beaver damage. I would have expected to see more tooth marks around the stem rather than up and down. . . whatever.

Squirrels spin a cone like it's on a lathe. Scales going all over as they eat the seeds and toss the core aside.
Nice pix, santaman.

 

[sunndog]

Squirrels spin a cone like it's on a lathe.

That made me chuckle........perfect description

 

[Quixoticgeek]

That tree was at a guess around 600mm.

J

 

[santaman2000]

I'll guess beaver damage. I would have expected to see more tooth marks around the stem rather than up and down. . . whatever.......

I was thinking the same thing.

That tree was at a guess around 600mm.

J

This also confuses me. I thought it looked pretty big and apparently it is. Beavers don't usually take down trees bigger than they can drag.

 

[Robson Valley]

If you can watch them, they work mostly cross-grain with teeth that can kill a determined Rottweiler
I'll also guess that standing tree is not as soft as a river-bottom cottonwood (good name) = small chips.

Here, they'll take whatever they can drop. 6"+ logs are chewed into short lengths. I found one fresh, in progress.
With the aid of several cups of coffee, I thoroughly "marked" each started cut. Two days later, the log was gone but for chip piles.

 

[santaman2000]

.......Here, they'll take whatever they can drop. 6"+ logs are chewed into short lengths. ......

Maybe. But 600mm is over 2 feet. Have you seen them take trees that big? Even a short length would be an awful burden for one to drag away.

 

[Robson Valley]

Yeah, next time I get time in the city of Prince George, I'll try to remember to take some pix of the cottonwoods on the river bank when they were 2X wrapped
with chain-link fence to keep those sonsabitches from mowing down the total horizon.
Junction of the Nechako and the Fraser rivers = check it out with Google Earth.

 

[Countryman]

I've never seen anything like that in the UK. It's not ringbarking from a deer or goat and it's not a threshing post.

Julia I think you have a Beaver!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[santaman2000]

RV it looks like you're right; I just found a video of a beaver taking down a tree with a far bigger diameter than his own. LOL https://youtu.be/HfTubrLqXCE

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Just to note: this tree is not in the UK.

J

 

[Robson Valley]

Thankyou Quixoticgeek. Spill the beans = where is it???????

 

[Adze]

No, Luxembourg.

J

I'm guessing Luxembourg