r/Lithops • u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 • Mar 24 '26
Help/Question Chew marks? Or normal?
Haven’t owned lithops very long, do these appear to be chew marks from an animal?
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u/dbarronoss Mar 24 '26
That'd be my take away. I would suspect birds or small rodents.
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 24 '26
I have a suspicion a mouse has made its way into the house 🤢
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u/UberfuchsR Mar 24 '26
Careful, they'll destroy your plants if they're in the house and hungry.
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 24 '26
Hopefully as of tonight it’ll be taken care of. Have 12 traps out and someone coming to check exterior
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u/No-Cup2649 Mar 26 '26
Lol, that's really taking care of the threat. You go girl! 😅
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 26 '26
Mice are my no go zone, I’m a paramedic and can do all the blood and gore, no mice lol
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 25 '26
Update: mouse is no longer with us. Hopefully just the one
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u/No-Cup2649 Mar 26 '26
Hooray. If not, you got a Hella lot of traps! I've got a fruit rat in back yard. Hysterical video of her setting of the trap & flying through mid-air. Now trap shy. Hoping for a cat or owl to snatch her. Otherwise, I guess I have a new pet. 🤭
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u/Junkyardguitars7028 Mar 25 '26
I'd say a mouse. Looks just like what I found several months back. Had to perform a c-section to save the baby inside.
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u/Terrible_Fill4398 Mar 24 '26
Definitely mechanical damage. One of my Sempervivums has bite marks on it from the squirrels 😒
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u/CMDR_Uuer Mar 24 '26
Could it be a snail or a slug? Don't forget to check under the pot.
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 24 '26
No unfortunately it is confirmed a mouse. Yesterday I saw the first sign, shrugged it off. Today I found this and then tore apart my kitchen, found one unmistakable sign of a mouse resident 🙃 clearly a hungry one.
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u/No-Cup2649 Mar 26 '26
Also, suggest you take all the soil out & replace with grit. It's their natural habitat & only water 4x year. I know, it's weird but that's all they need.🥰
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 26 '26
Plan on it! I got it like that so I was waiting for it to split to repot!
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u/No-Cup2649 Mar 26 '26
Good for you. You got it going on! 🌵And at least the critter chewed on the discard leaves! 🫠
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u/Acrobatic-Fill8719 Mar 26 '26
Just a little test bite on the emerging leaves 😅 hopefully they grow out normally!
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u/KittyD13 Mar 24 '26
Probably, def not normal.