Does this look like squirrel damage?

[applestar]

Apparently, I mentioned that squirrels and birds don't bother my tomatoes once too often because this morning, I found this scratched up tomato on the ground (with a slug clinging to it getting ready to enjoy the feast )

Obvious claw marks -- do they look like the damage was caused by a squirrel.

My fear is that it was a groundHOG -- but I didn't see any other signs, and there were other more close to ripe tomatoes lower down on other plants. This one had been about 3 feet up from the ground.

So folks who have had their tomatoes raided by squirrels -- does this tomato look like it had been taken off the vine by a squirrel?

This is a striped variety called "Girl Girl's Weird Thing" found growing among Green Zebra. It's only blushed and not ripe yet. It would have ripened to brick red and green.

No other damage evident anywhere else, including corn, squash and melons.

[HoneyBerry]

Hard to determine. Could be a squirrel or a groundhog.

[PaulF]

No chew marks? I would think squirrels or ground hogs would sample a little before discarding. What about a raccoon, do they mess with tomatoes? We have all three around but none get into the tomatoes, thank goodness.

[applestar]

Thanks. I'm guessing raccoons would have gone after the corn which is in the same 4 ft high enclosure/fenced area....

[Gary350]

A possum will eat dead animals and rotting garbage. I have possums but they never cause garden trouble. I have skunks too no garden trouble from them either except they make it smell terrible sometimes. If I throw garden scraps in a pile it usually does not get eaten until 2 days later when it starts smelling bad then next morning it is gone, possum ate it. Deer and rabbits eat live plants. Rabbits eat short plants, deer eat anything they want. Squirrels are never a problem until corn it ripe when I see squirrels eating corn I know it is ready to harvest. Deer always know when my corn is ripe. I have no problem with raccoons they don't care much for city life, too much noise, too many light, too many cars, too many dogs, I am 350 feet from a 20 acres forest I never see a raccoon. Even when I lived on the farm we never had a problem with raccoons in the garden, raccoons would get in the chicken house. Ground hogs prefer open country area where they can see far and wide, you don't often see them in town, they eat plants just like rabbits. I don't know much about, Rats, Chipmunks or snakes. Turtles have been a problem in my garden many times but I have not seen one in years, they eat tomatoes, they climb right up the plants to eat the tomatoes, I was surprised to learn turtles climb.