Scars

Ok, let's play a game. Can you guess what made these scars? (Pictures by me, answers by Naomi)

A.


B.


C.


D.



Answers
A. These holes were made by woodpeckers hunting the beetles, ants, termites, and other insects that are munching away inside this dead elm.

B. The striped scars around this pawpaw were made by a twining vine that has died and fallen off the tree.

C. This old water oak is what we call a "snag" or "wildlife tree." It has been dead for a long time. Fungi and wood-boring insects have removed and softened the remaining bark. The two large holes were likely made by Pileated woodpeckers, and may be used as nesting cavities. The loose bark and cavities in the upper reaches of this tree will provide shelter and nesting sites for animals such as tree frogs, raccoons, gray squirrels, flying squirrels, several types of bats, opossums, house wrens, great horned owls, barred owls, screech owls, and a variety of woodpecker species.

D. The holes in this pawpaw sapling were made by a woodpecker called a yellow-bellied sapsucker (for real!) which, as its name suggests, feeds exclusively on tree sap. The sapsucker drills a line of holes, slurps up the sap that emerges, and repeats the process until its little yellow belly is full.

How'd you score?

4 right = You are a bonafide treehugger!

3 right = You are one step away from being a bonafide treehugger!

2 right = You should come on more CPOP hikes!

1 right = You should come on more CPOP hikes too!

0 right = Contact Naomi immediately for your punishment!