Bark off two Oak trees

[Terrib972]

This morning I found large patches of bark coming off of two trees. One is a Red Oak and the other is a Live Oak. When I found the first, I suspected disease. But when I found the second, I wondered if it was animal damage. Quite a coincidence for both to shed bark the same night. Or perhaps a combination? These trees are in north Texas (Collin County) and appear healthy otherwise. It has been a very wet winter/spring. 4 pictures in the album .

Any help is appreciated! Thank you.


[album=medium]1697[/album]

 

[Pelorus]

You don't want the critter that did that gnawing on your leg. Be vigilant and carry a big stick.

 

[Stovepipe]

Someone let their pet Amazonian giant sloth loose. Holy hockey sticks- it looks like it was shredded.

Patience and a loaded 12 ga.
I'm interested in the answer.
Good luck

 

[rarefish383]

It does look like an animal chewed on it. But, the cambium, the layer under the bark, should not be dark like that. It looks as though there is necrotic tissue under the bark that may have drawn the critter in. Plus, is that white mildew or fungus in there? I can't quite tell from the pic. I'm in Western Maryland where we have lots of Red Oaks and I don't remember ever seeing anything quite like that. I have an encyclopedia of tree diseases, but it's listed by disease name, not tree attacked, so it can take a long time to find. I'll take a quick look and maybe get lucky. In the mean time hopefully a local Tree Expert will ID it for you, Joe.

 

[Terrib972]

Thanks for your response. The color isn't really good in the pictures. The closeups in the album are a little clearer. But the white is not fungus. It is a natural light wood color just underneath the very thin dark layer that you are seeing. I'm now thinking that a dog or coyote had something tree'd and was clawing at the tree trying to get at it. Now whether or not the tree is diseased, making the bark easier to claw off, I don't know.

It does look like an animal chewed on it. But, the cambium, the layer under the bark, should not be dark like that. It looks as though there is necrotic tissue under the bark that may have drawn the critter in. Plus, is that white mildew or fungus in there? I can't quite tell from the pic. I'm in Western Maryland where we have lots of Red Oaks and I don't remember ever seeing anything quite like that. I have an encyclopedia of tree diseases, but it's listed by disease name, not tree attacked, so it can take a long time to find. I'll take a quick look and maybe get lucky. In the mean time hopefully a local Tree Expert will ID it for you, Joe.

 

[sb47]

The bark looks like it has become detached from the sap wood with air getting underneath the bark long before the bark came off. Possibly drought related. Notice how there all doing it near a fork on the main trunk?
A drought probably caused stress, then insects may have assaulted it, then a fungus set in.
I would suspect the forks to eventually rout out and split off.