What type of physical trace suggests Raccoons or Skunks have been actively foraging in the garden area?
Answer
The soil around the base of the plant has been churned up
Raccoons and skunks are categorized as nocturnal foragers whose primary interest in garden beds is often not the flowers themselves, but rather the subsurface prey they hunt. They are attracted by the promise of grubs, worms, or other insects found just beneath the surface layer of the soil. Consequently, their activity manifests as digging, churning up the soil near plant bases, or creating small, cone-shaped holes as they search for this insect population. If the main visual evidence is disturbed, rooted-up soil rather than consistent patterns of clipped stems or shredded leaves, it strongly points toward these scent-driven foragers who are interested in the invertebrates below.
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