How did this munched mushroom get wedged between tree branches?
A red squirrel is drying out a future meal! Hanging mushrooms from branches or rough bark dries out the mushrooms so they resist decay and can be cached for later winter meals. While red squirrels know mushrooms have to be cached dry, they also know that cones have to be stored in cool, moist piles, so they don’t open and disintegrate.
Red squirrels have the ability to eat mushrooms toxic to us, and potentially facilitate spore dispersal. So beware not to trust squirrels as your mushroom guides.
