[Nick Tonge]

Yesterday, in a local wood (Bradford West Yorkshire, UK) our wildlife youth group found these really interesting scratches (tooth marks?) on the several branches of a holly tree that had been cut down. I assumed this was the work of a Grey Squirrel - we'd seen these around the wood - but after consulting my trusty copy of Tracks and Signs by Bang and Dahlstrom, I'm not so sure. Any ideas?

For reference, each scratch is around 5mm wide, and covered almost every inch of the fallen tree. The adjacent standing holly tree appeared untouched.

Thanks

[Gretchen]

Pretty odd looking to me - hope someone has an idea! It raises lots of questions for me:

This was on a branch, not the trunk? So would the "scratcher" have made these marks on something parallel to the ground (not perpendicular like a trunk)? That's an unusual location and direction to me. (Or perhaps an upward branch - I'm not sure of the shape of your holy trees.)

Usually scratching would be either claw sharpening or looking for food, right? The branch doesn't look like there would be bugs under the bark. Or would something have eaten the bark if really hungry? (tooth marks? this is what you thought the squirrel might have done?)

The black on the edges of the scratches are interesting too - a sign that this was an old injury?

Looking forward to others' thoughts...

[Nick Tonge]

Thanks Gretchen,

A couple more pictures attached.

The scratches were on the trunk and branches. But, they are only on the trees that have been cut down. The standing trees appeared untouched.

I did wonder if they were mechanical, but I couldn't see how the marks would be so random yet comprehensive (they cover the whole tree). And for what purpose? The trees were just left lying around, unused. Also, I just can't see how a large machine would have got into that part of the wood, without leaving some other trace. Not a large machine anyway. Also, the smaller branches appeared brittle and would surely have broken in the machine before all the bark was removed (see the long, thin, perpendicular branches in the second photo below).

I could be wrong, of course, and this could be the work of a bark/leaf stripping machine. Anyone have experience of these?

I need to find the owner of the wood (he lives nearby) and ask him what he knows.

Hmmm...

[chris butterworth]

They could be Rabbit. I've seen something similar on Elder and Hawthorn, but only during hard winters.

Chris

[gareth_blockley]

Rabbit is a good shout, or maybe deer?

Gareth

[Farnboro John]

If this was gnawing, wouldn't it be likely to show paired scratches? And if its all on fallen timber why are the scratches essentially along the trunk rather than across, as you might expect from a deer or rabbit standing next to it?

Its certainly a puzzle. My money is currently on a squirrel or a boy scout with a whittling knife.

John

[jurek]

A deer, fallow or red or sika. I don't know which ones occur it this area.

[gareth_blockley]

Originally Posted by Farnboro John

If this was gnawing, wouldn't it be likely to show paired scratches? And if its all on fallen timber why are the scratches essentially along the trunk rather than across, as you might expect from a deer or rabbit standing next to it?

Its certainly a puzzle. My money is currently on a squirrel or a boy scout with a whittling knife.

John

Perhaps scraped by a deer whilst the tree was still standing?

How tall would the tree be/ marks be if the tree was still standing?

Gareth

[Gretchen]

Originally Posted by gareth_blockley

Perhaps scraped by a deer whilst the tree was still standing?

How tall would the tree be/ marks be if the tree was still standing?

Gareth

This is what I was wondering too... if someone cut down the damaged trees after they found the marks on them

[Bird_Bill]

Most "Buck rubs" or deer scrapes dont look like that. Seems too regular for squirrel. Resembles marks left by chain saw blade scraped perpendicular to branch while not running, to maybe clear chain fouling in my mind. Could check around for scat, good boy scouts shoudnt have any laying about.

[SPOROPIPES]

Hi Nick,

My idea is completely different and I'm not saying I'm right. But do you know if there are Hornets in the area? I've seen Wasps collecting wood to build nests with and the tracks removed were 2mm wide, but very shallow. Could it be possible that a Hornet could collect a wider (and far deeper track) to collect nesting material?

[KCFoggin]

Have no idea what caused this but I think the patterning is beautiful.

[SPOROPIPES]

Damn, when I saw there was a reply I was hoping another member would make a comment on my Hornet theory?
It just seems strange to me that a nearby Holly Tree doesn't show similar markings to the felled/dead Tree.