Who Has Been Nibbling Here?

Beneath a hazel shrub, Puschel found a brown nutshell on the path. One side was open. The kernel was gone. That is the part inside the nut that animals eat.

Puschel“A nut robber! Or the nut built itself a door.”

Flauschi stopped beside him and held the green magnifying glass above the shell. Puschel leaned forwards just a little. The shell stayed on the ground. They saw small notches around the opening.

Flauschi“Some animals use their teeth to open nuts. The little marks they leave are called gnaw marks. Perhaps an animal has been nibbling here.”

Puschel“Then it must have been a squirrel! It even forgot to clear the table.”

Flauschi smiled, but she did not simply agree. Mice and other animals eat hazelnuts too. A squirrel can break a shell open. Small animals such as mice often gnaw an opening. Experts study the shape and lots of little marks.

Flauschi“We did not see the eater. This opening is a clue, not a name tag. A guess means it could have happened that way, but we do not know for sure yet.”

Puschel looked at the empty shell again. This time he did not search for a ready-made answer. He noticed its brown colour, the opening’s shape and the little notches. Flauschi lowered the magnifying glass.

Puschel“My report says: a nut was opened. Who ate here remains unknown today.”

Flauschi thought that sounded like a good explorer’s report. They did not search animal hiding places or take the shell away. Puschel walked on happily. An unsolved mystery could be a proper discovery too.