For several years, my physical fitness routine has been to hike a trail through a nearby nature preserve. I never get bored with the scenery because it changes constantly as the seasons go by.

It is my awareness of that scenery that has caused me to notice even the tiniest differences.

A few weeks ago, a flash of white against the bright green moss covering a fallen tree caused me to pause and take a closer look. What I thought would probably be a piece of fungus blown from a tree was a bleached bone.

It didn’t get there by itself, and the chew marks on the bone revealed the culprit; the tooth grooves were squirrel-sized.

Investigating the back of the bone showed a circular indent of a ball and socket joint. It was a pelvic bone and the size told me possibly from a fox.

Nothing is wasted in the woodland environment. Antlers and any kind of bone are used by animals for more than one purpose. The practice of eating them has a name ­– osteophagia.

Bones and antlers are composed mainly of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals.

Since taking multivitamins is not possible in rodent land, these items fill a dietary need as well as a dental care need. Chewing also strengthens the jaw muscles.

The two upper and lower incisors of rodents grow continuously to compensate for the wear and tear of chewing hard surfaces. In the case of squirrels, a steady diet of nuts covered by a hard shell makes this necessary.

The front of those teeth is covered with hard enamel, the back is not. When rodents chew, the back wears away faster than the front, resulting in sharp, chisel-shaped dentition. Continued use causes the teeth to become sharper over time.

For those who like to look for shed deer antlers in late winter, the challenge is getting to them before the rodents. Although antlers have a lower mineral content, they are not ignored. Even deer have been known to gnaw antlers to replace lost minerals.

While doing my research, I read an article by Ohio naturalist Jim McCormac who observed a squirrel dragging the skull of a groundhog up a tree so it could be stashed and gnawed at leisure.

So yes, squirrels will transport bones far from the source. In the case of my find, that soft, sunny perch was the perfect location to sharpen the teeth, work the jaw muscles, and add important minerals to the diet.

For an article on how squirrels can disturb a crime scene, visit https://go.osu.edu/squirrelbonegnawing.

Steffen is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.