Australian Tree Trunk Photo No. 2, "Insect Art"

(Click image to enlarge)

I always find the trunks of eucalyptus trees interesting because they are so different from those I usually see in the the United States. I decided to photograph a few of the trunks up close as abstracts. This is the second in the series.

This tree is one of about 800 different species within the genus Eucalyptus that are found in Australia. It is probably one of the four species of spotted gum. This photograph shows tracks left by insects between layers of the tree's bark that have since dies and fallen away. The insect track designs remind me of Anasazi snake pictographs I have seen in the American southwest.

This particular tree was found in New South Wales and it is quite healthy. The bark of all eucalyptus trees dies each year and eventually falls away. In smooth bark types the bark comes off in flakes, curls, or long strips. In rough bark types it accumulates in entwined, stringy masses.