Question: Do you know what would cause wounds such as these to my Texas Persimmon? Is it an insect?

Answer: As Sherlock would say, "Elementary!" This is the work of an intelligent being--much more intelligent than an insect. Squirrels will do this from time to time, for reasons I’ve never heard explained. Shown below is a similar example from Red Oak. You'll notice that there is fresh damage plus some scars that have already formed callus tissue. This suggests that some squirrels develop this behavior as a habit and may do it year after year. Its relative rareness suggests that only a few “weirdo” squirrels take up the practice. Go figure.

Michael Merchant, Ph.D., BCE; Urban Entomologist; Texas Cooperative Extension