I found an area of bare soil that showed signs of recent excavation by some type of animal, so I went over to take a closer look. I discovered a few holes typical of those made by squirrels, along with a pile of objects that looked like some type of nut. Nothing really unusual, but I wondered how the nuts ended up there. If they had been brought there by squirrels, they should have been buried upon arrival. There were no nut trees nearby, so how had such an accumulation occurred?
Looks like a typical collection of dirty acorns. None seem to have been buried and those excavations now appear larger than what a squirrel would normally do. This looks more like the work of a foraging skunk. But what does a foraging skunk have to do with a collection of acorns?
A closer examination makes me wonder what’s wrong with these acorns. I thought they were just dirty. I’ve never seen a coating of soil as smoothly applied as these things seem to have.
That’s because they’re not coated in soil. They are soil. The soil has been compressed and shaped into acorn sized nuggets. Now I know what’s going on.
Breaking open a nugget reveals a mixture of soil and vegetable matter. There’s also a faint odor reminiscent of horse manure. These are deer droppings. Although this is the first time I’ve ever seen them, I’ve read that many ungulates, particularly deer and goats, will produce this type of dropping after ingesting soil at a natural salt lick. I’m unaware of any natural salt licks in this area, but many deer hunters have taken to placing salt blocks near their hunting stands in hopes of increasing deer travel in that area. The blocks dissolve into the soil and the animals eat the soil to get the salt.
As for the excavations? I think this was the result of some animal digging for grubs or some other tasty morsel and are not at all related to the presence of the deer droppings. I love finding new things.
When I earlier discussed the abundance of wild grapes ripening at Blue Jay Barrens, I knew that it wouldn’t be long before the local wildlife began consuming them. Here’s unmistakable evidence of a hearty meal of grapes. I guess some animal found them to be an irresistible attractant.
Some of the fruits appear to be almost intact. Apparently, there was more swallowing than chewing activity on the part of this diner. It’s interesting what a superficial job many animals do of digesting their food. Their digestive systems seem designed to break down and absorb the most easily obtained materials and then pass the rest on through.
That doesn’t mean it goes to waste. A multitude of creatures are at the ready to take advantage of materials expelled by other animals. A bath in digestive juices breaks down many compounds into simpler forms that are more easily utilized. Many species are dependent on manure as a food source and would perish if it weren’t available. A species with a highly efficient digestive process would deprive others of a much needed food supply.
We don’t want to overlook the seeds that resided within the grapes. A long emersion in digestive acids might destroy their viability. A little acid sketching of the seed coat however, makes those seeds ready to germinate and produce new plants. That pile of grape waste was dropped into this small grove of trees. At present, no grape vines grow here. There’s now the potential for a mass of vines to make their home in the canopies of these trees.
Is the grove of trees destined to become a grape vine thicket? It’s possible, but the seeds are far from secure. There are still the vagaries of weather and soil conditions that the seeds must endure. That many seeds all germinating in the same place will create a fierce competition for growing space that could end in the death of all seedlings. There are also additional seed predators that may find the grape seeds a suitable meal. Just above the pile is a cozy squirrel nest. I bet a handful of grape seeds would make a nice winter snack for a hungry squirrel.
