How to annotate evidence of teeth marks and scratch/claw marks

General
1

I did try searching for this first. I recently uploaded teeth marks on a king bolete mushroom that had been partially eaten by a large mammal (based on size of teeth marks). I think I annotated it as a track (because it seemed the closest to what it was).

Today, someone else uploaded scratch marks on a tree trunk (perhaps by a large mammal). Would that be annotated as track or construction or ?

Maybe the annotations don’t matter if it never makes it to research grade, but I would like to know if there is a correct way to annotate this type of evidence?

I’m happy to post a link to my example of teeth marks if that is okay to do here. I wasn’t sure (not seeking ID help, seeking advice about how to annotate it).

Thank you!

2

There really isn’t an annotation that applies to these examples; see discussion here:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/does-the-evidence-of-presence-track-annotation-count-for-any-animal-imprint/59458
There are some specialized “observation fields” that can be used for some organisms, like beavers (field “beaver evidence”), but most are not widely known and thus not very useful.

2 Likes
3

Thanks. I see that is NOT one and so nothing should be used.

I think it is unfortunate to not have something like “marking” or as one person said in the thread you shared, “destruction,” only because if someone is an expert on such things, they could search on the annotation to help with IDs (like people who know tracks and scat search on those annotations).

It could perhaps help with IDs (some markings could be distinct).

Thank you for sending me the answer, though! :blush:

4

There is a huge (900 comments) list of We Need an Annotation for. Pine cone is top of my list - I want to fruit, but …

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/lets-talk-annotations/627

1 Like
5

I had someone add the Annotation: “Construction” to an observation of mine with the obvious vertically-long pileated woodpecker holes in a tree. I’m not sure this is a good way to describe it, but I don’t really use Annotations much myself.

I have had people add the Annotation: “Tracks” to some my observations of beaver-chewed wood/trees. Someone else added Observation Fields to another as follows. I like these better.

Observation Fields (3)

Felling Direction:
Unknown

Beaver evidence:
chewing

Beaver-chewed Wood?:
yes

  • I want to add this as a side note in case it helps anyone or gives someone an idea. For an observation of dragonfly exuviae, I add the existing Annotation of Evidence of Presence: “Molt” because it automatically adds the observation to the Project of “Odonata exuviae of the world”. I don’t know how the person who created that Project made that link, but I think it’s pretty cool.
2 Likes