A Standing Snag refers to a standing tree that is either dead or dying. Often the snag lacks the top of the tree or most of the smaller branches it once had. Standing snags are wonderful habitats for many birds such as woodpeckers, voles, chipmunks, salamanders, and others who eat the insects that live inside the decaying wood. It is very important for a forested area to have standing snags in the woods until they fall down naturally; a “cleaned-up” forest is not a healthy environment for plants or wildlife.