Winter Animal Tracks

Warner Nature Center Track ID

Directions: Each slide will contain the picture of an animal track for you to identify. The following slide will contain the name of the animal who left the track and some hints for identifying.

1

7 Inches

1

7 Inches

Virginia opossums are not well adapted to cold temperatures and will den up during severe cold. Tracks are most likely on warmer winter days. Their track patters alternate (placing their hind feet next to their front feet.) A long, thin trail drag may be present in soft or fresh snow.

Virginia Opossum

Tracking Hint: Look for the unmistakable ‘thumb” print.

Thumb print

15 Inches

2

2

Cottontail rabbits leave a four print jumping track pattern with their back feet (the larger of the tracks) landing in front of their front feet. The intergroup ranges from 8-22 inches.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Tracking Hint: Rabbit tracks are similar to large tree squirrel tracks. The front feet of a rabbit are often diagonal from each other (Squirrels are often side by side.)

Front feet are diagonal from each other.

3

25 Inches

3

Large tree squirrels make a hopping four track pattern similar to a rabbit track. Tracks are often found going from one tree to the next.

Gray Squirrel

Tracking Hint: Check out the smaller (front) feet tracks. Are they side by side or is one diagonal from the other?

Front feet side by side

4

16 Inches

4

16 Inches

White-tailed deer walk in an alternating pattern. In deep snow, foot dragging is common. The dewclaw tracks may be present in deep snow resulting in the heart shaped track with two smaller circle shaped tracks side by side at the wider side of the track.

White-tailed Deer

Tracking Hint: Look for the heart shaped toe track.

Heart shaped track

5

30 Inches

5

30 Inches

Humans walk bipedal resulting in a two track system with tracks spaced evenly, diagonally apart. Intergroup size varies based on height of the human.

Human

Tracking Hint: Look for the unique tread prints in the snow cause by different types of shoes.

6

10 Inches

6

10 Inches

Raccoons spend most of winter in the dens, however can become active on mild (20 degree +) days. Raccoon tracks often overlap with the large back feet landing on top of the smaller front feet tracks resulting in a two track pattern.

Raccoon

Tracking Hint: Raccoon toes often register in the snow. Look for their unique toe shapes to help identify!

Long toes

7

15 Inches

7

15 Inches

Coyotes leave an alternating diagonal track pattern. Coyote tracks are the largest canine tracks you will find are Warner. Groups of coyotes often travel in a single line (unlike red foxes who will travel side by side leaving multiple trails). Coyote tracks are slightly larger then fox tracks and range from 2.5-3.5 inches long.

Coyote

Tracking Hint: Look for the distinctive canine track. The foot pad with four toes present (claw dots will often also be apparent.)

A claw mark on each toe

8

10 Inches

8

Gray and Red foxes can be found at WNC. Foxes have the typical canine track with feet alternating in an diagonal pattern and with the pad and four toe mark. Claw marks are often present. Red foxes tracks are larger then gray fox tracks and range from 2.3-3.1 in. long with an intergroup of 5-16 in. Gray foxes tracks range from 1.5-2 in. long with an intergroup of 5-12 in.In late winter red foxes will have already paired off for spring so it is common to see two sets of tracks side by side.

Fox

Tracking Hint: Follow your tracks! If the track suddenly ends at the base of a tree the tracks belong to a gray fox. Gray foxes will climb trees in search of a bird or squirrel dinner.

2 Inches

9

2 Inches

9

Mice make a tiny 4 print hopping track pattern. Their front feet are usually side by side. In soft snow the front feet tracks merge with the back feet tracks in a two print patter (as in the picture above) and a tail track is often present.

Field Mouse

Tracking Hint: The distance between the intergroup track (the hop space) is shorter compared to voles.

Tail drag

10

1.5 Inches

10

Shrews often have a four track pattern with the front feet slightly diagonally placed. The front feet tracks are slightly larger then the back feet tracks and further apart making the distribution of tracks into a U shape. Tail drags can be present.

Shrew

Tracking Hint: Look for the unique U shape of tracks to tell the difference from mice and vole tracks.

U shape track pattern

11

5 Inches

11

Voles often leave a four print pattern with feet diagonal from each other (mice feet tracks are side by side). In soft snow the tracks merge into two prints (like the picture above) but trail drags are not frequent.

Vole

Tracking Hint: The intergroup space ranges from 2-10 inches so is typically large then a mouse track.

2-10 inch intergroup

12

12 Inches

12

Ermines leave a loping, angled two print track. In winter individual toes or claw prints are not visible due to the long ‘snowshoe’ fur on their feet. Tracks are often not in a straight trail due to the curious nature of weasels. Tracks will zigzag, circle, double-back, and tunnel.

Short-tailed Weasel/ Ermine

Tracking Hint: Ermines have a distinct shot step-hop-short step-hop track. There is often a belly drag mark on the short step.

Belly drag with the short step

Hop step

1317 Inches

13

Long-tailed weasels make the typical weasel two-print lope track. Occasionally you will see a belly drag track in soft or deep snow, but is not as common as for ermine and is not accompanied by a short step. Circular, zigzag, and doubling back patterns are common.

Long-tailed Weasel

Tracking Hint: Unlike ermine, long-tailed weasels do not have a short step with belly drag.

Hop stepHop step

14

26 Inches

14

Fishers lope in a typical ‘weasel’ two track pattern. Alternating four foot pattern (as seen in the picture above) is common in shallow snow. A three or four print gallop is common across clearings. Fishers leave a five toe print (unlike canines.) Look closely at the inside of the foot to find the fifth toe.

Fisher

Tracking Hint: If your tracks end at a tree make sure to look up and you might find a sleepy fisher staring back at you.

5 Toes

Review1) What is the difference between rabbit and gray

squirrel tracks?2) What is the difference between vole, mouse, and

shrew tracks?3) What is the difference between short-tailed

weasel (ermine) and long-tailed weasel tracks?4) What are the differences between coyote, red

fox, and gray fox tracks?

Common Tracking VocabAlternating Track Pattern: Tracks alternate right foot- left foot- right foot- left foot. In four footed animals back feet will sometimes overlap front feet. Common in deep snow because it saves energy to place your back feet in the foot print of your front feet. Examples: Humans, deer (deep snow), canines (deep snow)

Two-print Track Pattern: Two tracks appear close together followed by a space followed by two more tracks. Tracks can either be side by side or one slightly in front of the other. Examples: Mice, voles, turkeys, ermine, long-tailed weasel, raccoons, and opossums (front feet are next to back feet making a two-print pattern)

Four-print Track Pattern: Four foot prints are tracked together followed by a space followed by another set of four tracks. Examples: Rabbits, squirrels, shrews, canines, deer (gallop)

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Common Tracking VocabDiagonal: Tracks from front feet (or back feet) are not side by side but one is in front of the other. More common when animals are stepping. Examples: Rabbits (front feet), rats, foxes

Side-by-Side: Tracks from front feet (or back feet) are next to one another. Common when animals are hopping. Examples: Mice, squirrels, weasels

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Common Tracking VocabPrint Group: A complete set or group of tracks with a single track for each foot.

Straddle: The width of the print group.

Intergroup Distance: The stride or space between one print group.

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Examples:

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