Your neighbourhood sounds dangerous, and at the same time exciting. When you go out, do you arm yourself? in case you come across some unfriendly creatures.
Marshall has a heavy workload. Maybe he feels he needs all his nails in case he had to fight the creatures that come near the house.
I've never thought of it in that way. You're right he might be guarding his nails to save them for battle...lol!
And yes, I do take pepper / bear spray when I take him for a walk. I've seen a bear in the backyard twice (but only twice in the 23 years I've lived here...not to bad) A rattlesnake got the neighbor's puppy last week in his lower lip. They had him in intensive care for two days. He is home now, but mostly the snakes are in the rocky part of the park but can be seen on the path almost weekly.
Once the nails are too long and they curl, then they lose their effectiveness. So, they should be clipped. 😊
We do not know the temperament of the animals in the wild. They might be harmless, but it is better to keep a distance from them and keep out of harm's way. 😊