Thanks! Well, I just located some more specimens of the same type of tree not too far away - and these were actually still alive with leaves. They are about 3"-4" long and heart-shaped with jagged edges. Which is definitely not the black locust or black chestnut oak, then. So, any other ideas? Here is a link that might be useful: This post was edited by blakrab on Sat, May 25, 13 at 21:10

how high is that second pic ... so it was attacked low and high???? ... weird .... i have never seen a squirrel do that type of damage in my MI ... but i dont know if mine are those listed above .. probably not ... something wrong with the second pic ... almost looks like human damage ... ????? do you see any teeth marks ... or claw marks ... ken

The Oz part of me wants to say Eucalyptus, as most shed their bark annually, much like a snake shedding its skin, revealing untold weird and wonderful trunks. And I know there are millions of acres of them in Brazil. But I really dunno...a view of some leaves would be telling.

I have had many young trees sustain damage from deer rutting (up to 50% of the circumference); they did eventually seal up the wound. It takes a few growing seasons. There will be reduced foliage in the area above the injury until new bark grows. Yes, it is more prove to environmental stresses during this period (such as drought, or insects). I know when my own trees went through this I did a LOT of reading on the topic. Almost universally, I read not to apply any tars or sealants to the wounded area. I did some minor "cleaning" of the damaged bark with a knife. Canopy above seems to be gradually filling in too now. I have read that recovery does depend on the tree species to some extent. I wonder if there may be regional variation as well. With more temperate (less extreme climates) being an advantage (good precip, not too extreme in heat or cold)..., but only guessing about the impact of climate tree damage recovery. Maybe there is also a difference in recovery depending on the AGE/size of the tree; most of mine that have been targeted for damage (and subsequently recuperated), were juveniles (mostly the damage being done wIthin the first year..., maybe territory marking of some kind). Nonetheless, I have seen good recovery on the following trees; Ginkgo biloba, Magnolias, and Cedrus (Cedar).