Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Mammal Monday

Gnawing on some plaster (?) saint or other.

Back in April, I spotted a Grey Squirrel gnawing on a bone not so far from here.

mthew

3 responses to “Mammal Monday”

  1. ewakozyra

    Interesting, are they looking for calcium, or just trimming the teeth? I sometimes see sparrows trying to pick out mortar from in between bricks, seems also strange.

    Reply
    1. mthew

      It may be a combination of teeth-trimming and calcium-intake. Deer antlers, for instance, are quickly recycled. This is so common it evidently gets in the way of forensics sciences https://www.bu.edu/articles/2016/squirrel-bone-gnawing/

      Re: the sparrows, some birds swallow small stones that act as grinding stones in the gizzard, helpful for bearing down hard seeds.

      Reply
  2. Charles McAlexander

    must need some calcium

    Reply

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