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larose forest photos | all galleries >> WILDLIFE (including birds, mammals and reptiles and amphibians) (18 Galleries) >> Wildlife around Ottawa-Quebec (9 sub-galleries) >> Grey Squirrels, Red Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Groundhogs (4 Galleries) >> Red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) >> Red Squirrels and Their Food > Deer leg in Red Squirrel nest
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16-JAN-2010 Christine Hanrahan

Deer leg in Red Squirrel nest

Walking through Nortel woods and checking out squirrel nests to see which ones might be occupied, I saw something odd dangling down from one. Through my binoculars I discovered it was the leg of a deer. To the right of the leg is another bone fragment. The squirrel nest was quite small, made mostly of bark strips and moss. Clearly, the leg was too large and was hanging down. Red squirrels will scavenge carrion and I have no doubt that this deer leg would make a good meal (the flesh), and the bones of course, are gnawed by many animals for the minerals and calcium. Porcupines, squirrels, groundhogs, mice, voles, will all gnaw away at bones. I once saw a red squirrel with part of a dead gray squirrel. He was eating the flesh and later gnawing the bones, as will be done with this deer leg. Not the most inviting of photos, I know, but a curiosity. I have never seen this before.

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS
1/60s f/8.0 at 68.2mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
Gillian17-Jan-2010 23:45
A bit gruesome, but fascinating nonetheless. Well seen and documented! V
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