Test Your Tracking Skills #3
Who Made These Tracks?
They are about 2.5cm wide. A Rabbit, Pine Marten, Squirrel or Rat?
Like all rodents squirrels have four toes on the fore foot and five on the hind foot.
In the photo the hind feet are in front as squirrels bound like a rabbit, the powerful hind feet land in front of the fore feet and propel the animal forwards.
The hind foot is long with the heel often showing in the track and the three middle toes point forward, which is typical of the rodent family.
The claws do not always register.
The fore feet are smaller and there is an arrangement of three small palm pads in a triangle, followed by a pair of palm pads below.
The middle toes of the fore feet point forward and the lower two to the sides.
These tracks were made by a rabbit. The hind feet point forwards and are parallel rather than angled outwards as they are in a squirrel track, and the toes come to a point.
This is part of the Becoming A Winter Nature Detective information.