The remains of a wild boar skull wedged into a tree on my property that has been very well gnawed out the past 10 years or so.
As a bone collector it is always important to leave some bones for the wild animals. I have tossed out bones around my entire property for them and have spots where I leave piles like in the first photo.
Why do I do this? Most bone collectors have found bones, skulls or even antlers or turtle shells with teeth gnaw marks on them in the outdoors. This is likely caused by squirrels in most cases.
They do this for two reasons: A) As a source of minerals sparse in their normal diet & B) To help keep their teeth from getting too long. Their teeth are always growing & if they get too long it can cause the squirrel to starve or even have the teeth impale them. Eventually resulting in the death of the squirrel. Other animals gnaw on bones for similar reasons as well. Like rabbits. This overgrowth of teeth is called malocclusion.
There was even a giraffe that was photographed recently found gnawing on an impala skull likely for similar reasons.
A well gnawed on deer or wild boar bone.
