Author Topic: What type of footprints are these?  (Read 1487 times)

Offline Tango

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #15 on: December 27, 2009, 05:40:11 PM »
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Offline CAP1

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #16 on: December 27, 2009, 07:13:17 PM »
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Offline Fulmar

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #17 on: December 27, 2009, 08:16:21 PM »
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Offline mtnman

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2009, 02:08:43 PM »
This morning i looked out my backwindow of my house and spotted these all across the snowy lawn, I've been seeing these tracks around my house for several years but never been able to identify them. My mom thinks there rabbits, we have seen rabbits in our yard before, they usualy would be out in the daytime but we havent seen any of them since late september so i dont think its them. I live in fairly new suburban neighborhood. My neighbors all have high fences so we pretty much have our backyard fenced in exept all we need is the gates.


(Image removed from quote.)


at the gate to my neighbors backyard
(Image removed from quote.)



Another possibility is a tree squirrel (like a fox or gray squirrel).  In loose, powdery snow they can be real tough to tell apart, because the toe-pads won't show in the tracks.  In wet snow (like your pictures) it's much easier.  Rodents (squirrels) show five toes.  Lagamorphs (rabbits and hares) show four toes.  I can only see four pads in your pictures, but I can't see them too clearly.

If you can see where the animal pauses in its travel, a rabbit will place its front feet in front of its rear feet.  Squirrels spend a lot of their time "standing" while paused, so don't do that as much.

"Digging" marks are generally from squirrels (small digging, for seeds,etc.).  Rabbits won't dig much for food (but will burrow, and tunnel in snow) but rather just chew bark off of small saplings, etc. 

An easy giveaway is a dropping or two.  If you see little brown "peas", it's a rabbit.  They don't go much further than 10 feet or so without depositing a few, if they're traveling at their own, slow pace.  I think I may see a dropping in the one picture.

If you can see where the animal leaves the ground, it can be easy to decide rabbit/squirrel too.
MtnMan

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Offline allaire

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #19 on: December 28, 2009, 02:45:50 PM »
That there are the tracks of the dreaded Wampus Cat.   :uhoh :bolt:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Smallcatfield.jpg
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Offline DYNAMITE

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #20 on: December 28, 2009, 03:01:55 PM »

Offline bravoa8

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2009, 03:16:33 PM »

Offline Becinhu

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #22 on: December 28, 2009, 04:08:37 PM »
duck season!
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Offline Flench

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #23 on: December 28, 2009, 04:14:12 PM »
That there are the tracks of the dreaded Wampus Cat.   :uhoh :bolt:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9f/Smallcatfield.jpg
That's what it is . Seen one just the other day hunting .. :D
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Offline APDrone

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #24 on: December 28, 2009, 06:21:29 PM »
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Offline Treize69

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #25 on: December 28, 2009, 06:29:32 PM »
duck season!

I'm a fiddler crab! Its fiddler crab season!
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Offline mtnman

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #26 on: December 29, 2009, 01:00:34 AM »
How about these?  Can anyone identify them?  Two animals are represented here...  One should be pretty easy.  The second may not be.



MtnMan

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Offline AWwrgwy

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #27 on: December 29, 2009, 01:46:09 AM »
How about these?  Can anyone identify them?  Two animals are represented here...  One should be pretty easy.  The second may not be.

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

I would like to guess, based on the "color" in the pic, Hungry owl and mouse for dinner.

Seeing as it's a MM pic though, Hawk vs. ground squirrel.



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Offline mtnman

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #28 on: December 29, 2009, 02:52:53 AM »
I would like to guess, based on the "color" in the pic, Hungry owl and mouse for dinner.

Seeing as it's a MM pic though, Hawk vs. ground squirrel.



wrongway

Hawk was right- female redtail...  The other was a meadow vole.  We were "supposed" to be catching rabbits, but she couldn't resist a snack, hehe!

Three toes forward is usually but not always hawk.  Two forward and two back would say owl.
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Offline cattb

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Re: What type of footprints are these?
« Reply #29 on: December 29, 2009, 05:30:04 AM »
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