Tracking Quiz website

Tracking Quizzes

Quiz #53 - Question

by Brian Booth

Here’s a tracking quiz that doesn’t have any tracks. (Tracking is more than just studying tracks – it involves looking for all kinds of signs of the presence of animals, whether it’s tracks, trails, scat, dens, nests, feeding sign, or whatever.)
Photo 53A
Habitat: Mixed hardwood/conifer forest in rocky hills of rural northeast Massachusetts


Time of year: March
Photo 53B

One tree in the woods has been the repeated subject of attention.
Photo 53C

The bark is significantly damaged...
Photo 53D

...and there are deep chunks of wood torn out
Photo 53E

Photo 52E shows how widely the wood chips have been scattered on the forest floor.
Photo 53F

Photo 52F shows the size of the wood chips.

 
 
Questions:

1. What kind of animal (general family of animal) did such massive damage to this tree?
2. What specific species of animal was it?
3. Why did the animal damage the tree so extensively?
4. When did the activity occur?
5. How could you have identified this tree as a candidate for getting attacked like this before it happened?
 

Quiz #53 - Answer

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