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Index of Subjects ------=_Part_32883_26102851.1222292466326 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Thank you! 2008/9/23 <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca> > Very well said, Ron. > Billy > > > > Hello, > > > > The descriptions provided thus far strongly suggest beaver. Muskrats, as > > suggested earlier, typically eat herbaceous marsh plants (unlike beavers > > and > > porcupine, they also eat animal protein) as opposed to woody plants, > > rarely > > leaving marshes for purposes of feeding. > > > > Porcupines would likely not hesitate to eat rose bushes, but unlike the > > case > > described, they make a rather ragged cut, not the clean cut described > > here. > > > > As for the size of the animal, adult beaver teeth average about 6 mm. > The > > 3.75 mm suggests a sub adult animal. Beavers in their second summer > often > > wander away from their family group (although they may return to spend > the > > winter in their natal den). This would fit well with the size of the > > gnawing marks observed and the fact that the location where this feeding > > occurred does not appear to harbour a permanent beaver population. > > > > My 2 cents worth. > > > > Ron Arsenault > > Memramcook, N.B. > > > > 2008/9/22 <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca> > > > >> Hi Steve, > >> I'm not sure about spacing of teeth, but normally you can estimate the > >> size of the beaver by the height of cuts on the trees, or in this case > >> the alders. Beavers often cut trees while propped up on their hind > >> feet, using their tail for balance. If the cuts are close to two feet > >> high or more, you have a large beaver. I hope that helps. > >> Billy > >> > >> > Hi again Billy, or anyone else, > >> > As an afterthought on a recent reply from me about this, could an > >> > experienced > >> > woodsman tell the approximate size of the beast from the spacing of > >> its > >> > gnaw > >> > marks? Somebody must have looked into this in the past. > >> > > >> > One of the diagonally cut alder stems had 8 fairly parallel gnaw > >> marks. > >> > These > >> > were not fully regular (each was not the exact same width), but they > >> were > >> > spaced on average 3.75 millimeters apart (a bit over 1/8 inch, more > >> like > >> > 5/64" > >> > if you prefer inches). > >> > Would that be a little beaver or a big sucker? > >> > Steve, Halifax > >> > > >> > > >> > Quoting bdigout@seaside.ns.ca: > >> >> Earlier, I sent a reply indicating beaver... If Chocolate Lake > >> was > >> >> in > >> >> Cape Breton, then beaver would have been the only choice; since we > >> >> have no porcupines. > >> >> Because only muskrat and beaver were mentioned, was there any > >> >> indication the culprit came from the water, or was there no visible > >> >> sign of directionality? > >> >> Billy > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > -- > > Ronald G. Arsenault > > Memramcook, N.B. > > > > > -- Ronald G. Arsenault Memramcook, N.B. ------=_Part_32883_26102851.1222292466326 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline <div dir="ltr">Thank you!<br><br> <div class="gmail_quote">2008/9/23 <span dir="ltr"><bdigout@seaside.ns.ca></span><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">Very well said, Ron.<br>Billy<br> <div> <div></div> <div class="Wj3C7c"><br><br>> Hello,<br>><br>> The descriptions provided thus far strongly suggest beaver. Muskrats, as<br>> suggested earlier, typically eat herbaceous marsh plants (unlike beavers<br>> and<br> > porcupine, they also eat animal protein) as opposed to woody plants,<br>> rarely<br>> leaving marshes for purposes of feeding.<br>><br>> Porcupines would likely not hesitate to eat rose bushes, but unlike the<br> > case<br>> described, they make a rather ragged cut, not the clean cut described<br>> here.<br>><br>> As for the size of the animal, adult beaver teeth average about 6 mm. The<br>> 3.75 mm suggests a sub adult animal. Beavers in their second summer often<br> > wander away from their family group (although they may return to spend the<br>> winter in their natal den). This would fit well with the size of the<br>> gnawing marks observed and the fact that the location where this feeding<br> > occurred does not appear to harbour a permanent beaver population.<br>><br>> My 2 cents worth.<br>><br>> Ron Arsenault<br>> Memramcook, N.B.<br>><br>> 2008/9/22 <bdigout@seaside.ns.ca><br> ><br>>> Hi Steve,<br>>> I'm not sure about spacing of teeth, but normally you can estimate the<br>>> size of the beaver by the height of cuts on the trees, or in this case<br>>> the alders. Beavers often cut trees while propped up on their hind<br> >> feet, using their tail for balance. If the cuts are close to two feet<br>>> high or more, you have a large beaver. I hope that helps.<br>>> Billy<br>>><br>>> > Hi again Billy, or anyone else,<br> >> > As an afterthought on a recent reply from me about this, could an<br>>> > experienced<br>>> > woodsman tell the approximate size of the beast from the spacing of<br>>> its<br>>> > gnaw<br> >> > marks? Somebody must have looked into this in the past.<br>>> ><br>>> > One of the diagonally cut alder stems had 8 fairly parallel gnaw<br>>> marks.<br>>> > These<br>>> > were not fully regular (each was not the exact same width), but they<br> >> were<br>>> > spaced on average 3.75 millimeters apart (a bit over 1/8 inch, more<br>>> like<br>>> > 5/64"<br>>> > if you prefer inches).<br>>> > Would that be a little beaver or a big sucker?<br> >> > Steve, Halifax<br>>> ><br>>> ><br>>> > Quoting bdigout@seaside.ns.ca:<br>>> >> Earlier, I sent a reply indicating beaver... If Chocolate Lake<br> >> was<br>>> >> in<br>>> >> Cape Breton, then beaver would have been the only choice; since we<br>>> >> have no porcupines.<br>>> >> Because only muskrat and beaver were mentioned, was there any<br> >> >> indication the culprit came from the water, or was there no visible<br>>> >> sign of directionality?<br>>> >> Billy<br>>> ><br>>> ><br>>><br>>><br>>><br> ><br>><br>> --<br>> Ronald G. Arsenault<br>> Memramcook, N.B.<br>><br><br><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Ronald G. Arsenault<br>Memramcook, N.B.<br></div> ------=_Part_32883_26102851.1222292466326--
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