# Who Are My Tormenters: Squirrles or Raccoons?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 16, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949 "2012-04-16T14:39:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949/1 "2012-04-16T14:39:57Z")

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This year I decided to grow some American Lotus plants-I bought the seeds, and started them indoors. As soon as the seedlings were 6" long, I planted them in my backyard pool (in pots, with clay to hold the seeds down). The next day, I found a dead squirrel in the pool-I fished him out, buried him, and all was well…till this morning-all the pots were upended, and the evidence (gnawed seeds) were on the side of the pool.  
Which varmints did this? I’m inclined to concluded that a hungry raccoon was responsible-I’ve never see squirrels enter water.  
So now, I get to start over-I guess I’ll have to keep the plants indoors, till they are are full grown.☹

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**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949/2 "2012-04-16T15:01:15Z")

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I suspect coons.

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**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949/3 "2012-04-16T16:50:28Z")

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I don’t think it’s possible to determine. Normally, I’d be amazed to see a squirrel enter the water but you have proof that one did just that. So perhaps you were struck by a better swimming squirrel or raccoon.

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**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-my-tormenters-squirrles-or-raccoons/618949/4 "2012-04-16T17:51:55Z")

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Seed-gnawing sounds more like the rodenty behavior of a squirrel. Raccoons have fangs rather than gnawing incisors.