Name the critter!

[fisherman]

Some critter took a big bite out of my beautiful ripe WM#1 and left it hanging. Can you identify the critter by the pattern of fig bites? Obvious suspects are: bird, rat, or squirrel. Probably not a raccoon who would rip the fig off the tree. Tree is usually behind a screened deck, but the screening was taken down yesterday for a repair.

[Ktrain]

Hard to say....doesn't really look like bird pecks.

How high on the tree was it?

[jake44141]

Chipmunk?

[e-rancher]

Rats will eat figs. They also eat cherry tomatoes. Usually, they carry them off and eat them elsewhere unless the fig is firmly attached to the branch. Rats will also peel the bark from the fig tree during the winter. I’ve seen all three happen. Nasty critters! That’s why I like rat snakes but they can surprise you from time to time.

[goodfriendmike]

Thats a nice one!

[Bellefleurs]

I realize that rat snakes are the good guys but omg this snake would frighten me to death.

[fisherman]

No chipmunks that I have seen in SW FL. Small critters here tend to be various kinds of lizards.

[Ktrain]

Trail cams are your friend, I put them out in my woods and set an apple on the end of a branch to see what critters are lurking.

Of all the critters who stopped by, it was a coyote that took it.

https://www.facebook.com/kevin.frain.378/videos/10219440442104502

[Ktrain]

Had to mark where they found food maybe....lol

[Bellefleurs]

More than one!!

[Ktrain]

I think they were married.

[LadyGT]

I have wasps that like figs.

[arachyd]

I would say a bird did it. They peck deep holes and pull out chunks. A critter that nibbles usually leaves a sloping edge to the hole or completely removes the fig.

[tharnsur]

Grey catbirds and brown thrashers caused the most damage.

[TorontoJoe]

Wasps do exactly that to my figs. They burrow in and leave cavities identical to what you have pictured. Organza bags seem to help with the wasps..... if that's what you're dealing with .

[RosyPosy]

😱 *GASP* NO!

Evil bugger whatever it is!

Almost looks like fang marks in the corners... But, I’m not an expert in identify these things, otherwise I’d know what ate all of my squash plants this year. Whatever the case, sorry it happened, very frustrating when it does!

[m5allen]

Looks like a bird to me as well. I have gotten pretty good at identifying critter bite marks because I have to deal with their nonsense all the time.

[fisherman]

Just saw a female cardinal flying from fig tree to fig tree, checking for ripe figs? I earlier put a small sandwich bag around the one nearly ripe fig until my organza bags arrive from Amazon. I hope it was a bird that took a bite out of my ripe WM#1 because when my patio screening is back up, it will keep the birds out. But there is no way to completely keep rats out of the patio.

[arachyd]

Cardinals are frienemies. They eat insects as well as fruit and seeds.

[taliesin]

Yeah, pretty sure it is bird. I have same damage and only two things it could be are wasp or bird.