Squirrel Tapping Maple Tree for Sap

Squirrel species tap maples and other trees for sap, just like we do.  These taps were probably done by a grey squirrel.  Note the fresh sap running out of the wounds.

This is what a tap from previous seasons looks like.  Note the diagnositc dot-dash format, caused by one set of incisors anchoring the jaw, and the others scraping the bark.

Mouse Tupelo Seed Midden

Tucked in a very secure cave of pricker bushes, (catbriar and multiflora rose)  a mouse has taken advantage of an excellent tupelo mast year.  Note that most have two holes, a larger hole at one end, and a much smaller one at the other, where the tiny teeth gained access to the nut meat.. 

Southern Flying Squirrel Latrine

Further proof of  Southern Flying Squirrel presence on the South Fork. This good size latrine was found spilled out of a sawed tree trunk in the Long Pond Greenbelt.  The squirrrels live communally, especially in the cold weather,  inside hollowed out tree trunks.  Separate chambers in the same tree are used for latrines.   Here is a video of a pet flying squirrel eating a cicada. 

 

Rabbit and Rat in Snow

Across frozen kettleholes, a lot rat activity, and eastern cottontail.  The cottontail is heading right, and the rat is heading left. 

 

 

Grey Squirrel Scat

This crusty frozen snow surface has made it possible to identify without doubt grey squirrel scat.  My back yard is full of the stuff.   A great setting for finding hairs too, as is shown in the journal page.

 

 

Grey Squirrel Mushroom Sign

Squirrels love mushrooms.  I was lucky enough to catch sight of this one going mad in the mushroom candy store of our back yard.  Why do they never eat the whole thing?  Here's a good video of a squirrel eating a mushroom it appears to have cached under a log. Or the videographer cached it.

Note clear incisor marks on lower right.

It left this one attached to its stem, in the ground, and just took a pizza slice out of it, as well as gnawing the edge.

Red Fox Puzzle in Slick Mud

 

There are a lot of puncture marks here, some of which don't belong with this particular pair of feet.  Can you find the toes that go with the nails?  Can you find the heel pads?  Notice how far ahead of the toe the nails hit the mud.

 

This is the complete photo

I call these a front and rear because the upper track is much larger than the lower.  If you look very carefully you will find another track on the left, showing two clear nails, and one clear toe.