What animal(s) did this?
- Thread starter spandit
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OK, just been back. Here's some more pictures:
1) Extent of the damage:
2) A close up of what look like claw marks:
3) My father pretending to be a ruler:
I have contacted a warden to see if he's got any ideas. Perhaps someone has nicked it for mulch - pulled it off in strips? There don't seem to be any obvious cut marks at the base, though. Could someone have ripped it off by hand to cover a debris shelter?
1) Extent of the damage:
2) A close up of what look like claw marks:
3) My father pretending to be a ruler:
I have contacted a warden to see if he's got any ideas. Perhaps someone has nicked it for mulch - pulled it off in strips? There don't seem to be any obvious cut marks at the base, though. Could someone have ripped it off by hand to cover a debris shelter?
Great photos, we can really see the enigma now. Southey's idea of the tree changing/shedding bark did sound like a good one, but the fact there are no strips of bark on the ground, poses a problem, unless, as you suggest, someone took them away.............I don't know what to think now.
The hole looks more like an exit hole of a wood eating grub.
What is all that brown/reddish debris around the tree ?...it looks like shredded bark.
The hole looks more like an exit hole of a wood eating grub.
What is all that brown/reddish debris around the tree ?...it looks like shredded bark.
Only taken on my iPhone - nothing special. The debris is composed of needles and leaves - didn't really see any bark on the ground. Will have another look tomorrow
I'm still firm that it is just the tree shedding the bark and becoming a mature tree, some sequoire trees have outer bark almost like coconut husk in appearance.
But if it's coming off in huge strips like my photo, where are they? Can't believe it's all rotted down so quickly.
It could be very tasty to the local creatures, and carried off over night for a good munch,
nope, a mid post search on google reveals this damage done by..............
..............Squirrels!
nope, a mid post search on google reveals this damage done by..............
Must be natural by the amount of 'damage'.
keep mind these trees can survive fire,so not much can harm them.
I mean that it doesn't seem like animal unless squirrel.
Treecreepers use the bark to nestle into for roosting, that's the extent of my avian knowledge of said trees.
keep mind these trees can survive fire,so not much can harm them.
I mean that it doesn't seem like animal unless squirrel.
Treecreepers use the bark to nestle into for roosting, that's the extent of my avian knowledge of said trees.
On further investigation into species, I suspect you are right. This particular tree has needles like the ones on the right of the photo, which means it's a coastal redwood (sequoia sempervirens). The equally huge tree also in the nature reserve is a Wellingtonia (giant redwood, sequoiadendron giganteum) with needles like the ones in the middle:
The picture of the bark in my Collins book looks fuzzy like the one in my local park (a bit like this: http://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/look.../tree-of-the-month/tree-archive/giant-redwood) so it looks like it probably is a natural process, although I wouldn't be surprised if some squirrels had contributed too
