Whose Nuts are These?

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You can get a good clue about the kind of animals living in your area by just checking their nuts... or at least the nut shells they've left behind.

If you look closely at the way the nut shell has been broken into you can get a good idea of the kind of animal which got to the nut inside.

Dormouse

The dormouse makes a neat round hole in the nut.  The edge of the hole is worn completely smooth and there are usually teeth marks on the shell surface around the opening.

Bank Voles

These nuts have almost no teeth marks around the edge of the hole, but the opening is deeply ridged or corrugated.  Wood mice make a similar opening but they also leave more teeth marks around the edge of the hole.

Grey Squirrels

Squirrels have much stronger jaws and teeth than other small mammals and are able to crack open a nut with one bite.  Some birds, like Jays, are also able to open nuts this way.