Who gets credit for this? Who munched on the leaf on the left, giving it that nicely symmetrical shape? I had thought at first that some sort of insect had done this (aren't there leaf cutter bees and ants?). Yet the symmetry of the cuttings seems too good for the work a tiny insect could do. Yes, an insect could probably cut such swaths from the leaf, but I don't think it would try to achieve a pleasing balance. What is hard to tell in this photo is that the tip of the stem of the plant has been snipped off as well. That suggests a deer is the culprit. I'm not sure a deer has any more aesthetic sense than an insect, but here's how I think it could have worked. The deer could have grabbed both edges of the leaf in its mouth at once, folding the leaf down the center. It would then munch off what it could, chew it to satisfaction, then have another bite, folding the leaf in a similar manner and getting similar cuts on each edge. I suppose the deer didn't like the taste of the leaf (I think it might be a cherry tree) since the leaf beside it is unharmed. Actually, I'm sure this kind of thing goes on in my forest all of the time -- the leaf cutting -- but I can't recall ever seeing it before my last trip to Roundrock. A long time ago I vowed to pay better attention to the small details in the woods. I'm not sure how well I'm doing. Missouri calendar:

• Bobcat kittens are born through the month.

Today in Missouri history:

• The site for the town of Franklin was chosen on this date in 1816. The town later became the starting point of the Santa Fe Trail and was the boyhood home of Kit Carson. Franklin was washed away by the Missouri River, but New Franklin still stands today.
• The crinoid became the state’s official fossil in 1989.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 1:01 am and is filed under Critters, Green Things. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.