TRACKS GAITS TRACK PATTERNS WAYS OF WALKING 1

TRACKS

GAITS – TRACK PATTERNS – WAYS OF WALKING • 1. PACE – WADDLE. BOTH LEFT FEET THEN BOTH RIGHT FEET • BEAR • SKUNK • RACCOON • OPOSSUM

• 2. DIAGONAL (ALTERNATE) – FRONT FOOT THEN REAR FOOT ALTERNATE ON EACH SIDE. FRONT AND BACK FOOTPRINT OVERLAP • (D DIRECT REGISTER: BACK FOOT LANDS EXACTLY ON FRONT FOOT TRACK) • DIAGONAL - • • DOG, CAT, DEER, DIAGONAL & DIRECT: CAT FOX

• 3. BOUNDING – ALL 4 FEET LAND TOGETHER • • WEASEL FAMILY

• 4. GALLOP – BACK FEET LAND IN FRONT OF FRONT FOOT TRACK • RABBITS/HARES • RODENTS (SQUIRRELS/MICE)

I. DOG AND CAT FAMILIES • A. BOTH … • 4 TOES BOTH FRONT AND BACK • FRONT AND BACK LOOK THE SAME • B. CATS ONLY … • NO CLAWS SHOW

II. CAT FAMILY • A. DIRECT REGISTER –ALTERNATE GAIT • BACK FOOT STEPS IN FRONT FOOT TRACK • B. SPECIES • 1. FERAL CAT • 2. BOBCAT • 3. LYNX • 4. COUGAR

FERAL CAT – WILD DOMESTIC CAT • PAD SIZE OF PENNY • 9 POUNDS • NO DANGER BUT MAY EAT SMALL ANIMALS YOU HAVE TRAPPED

BOBCAT • PAD SIZE OF QUARTER • 8 -40 POUNDS • NO DANGER BUT MAY EAT SMALL ANIMALS YOU HAVE TRAPPED

BOBCAT

LYNX WHOLE TRACK SIZE OF SOFTBALL SMALL PADS SURROUNDED BY LOTS OF FUR 11 -40 POUNDS NO DANGER BUT MAY EAT SMALL ANIMALS YOU HAVE TRAPPED

LYNX

COUGAR • WHOLE TRACK SOFTBALL SIZE • HEEL PAD IS 4 “ WIDE NOT FUR • 60 -220 POUNDS • DANGEROUS FROM AMBUSH

COUGAR HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=FUMTSTZ 2 B DI

• DEFENSE: • STAY IN GROUPS • STAY IN OPEN AREAS • FIGHT BACK IF ATTACKED –AIM FOR NOSE & EYES

III. DOG FAMILY • A. SPECIES: • 1. DOG • 2. WOLF (GRAY/TIMBER) 80 -100 LBS • 3. COYOTE 15 - 40 LBS • 4. FOX (RED&GRAY) 10 LBS

D. GAIT: DIAGONAL/ALTERNATING TRACKS INDIRECT REGISTER: REAR FOOT LANDS SLIGHTLY BEHIND AND TO ONE SIDE OF FRONT TRACK

COYOTE & WOLF – SIZE & HABITAT TO ID • LOWER PENINSULA – COYOTE • UPPER PENINSULA – BOTH • IN TOWN – COYOTE MOST LIKELY • SIZE – WOLF UP TO 5” LONG • - COYOTE 3” LONG

HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=0 OMJT 1 SPJ 1 A HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=PO 5 UQ 8 J 69 B 8 HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=AYDBYKWP 1 ZK

FOX • 1. 5 - 2” LONG TRACK • DIRECT REGISTER (ONLY DOG THAT DOES) • MAY RETRACT CLAWS • HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V= D 2 SOGHFM 18 I

IV. WEASEL FAMILY • A. 5 TOES FRONT AND BACK • B. CLAWS SHOW • C. BOUNDING GAIT • FRONT FEET NEXT TO EACH OTHER • BACK FEET NEXT TO EACH OTHER RIGHT BEHIND FRONT • D. STRONG SMELLING

WEASELS : LEAST, SHORT TAILED & LONG TAILED WEASELS • 6” TO 2’ LONG • 1 -9 OUNCES • TURN WHITE IN WINTER • TAN/WHITE BELLY • FIERCE PREDATORS • NORMAL PREY – VOLES • SINGLE BITE AT BASE OF SKULL • KILL MORE THAN CAN EAT

2 MEMBERS OF WEASEL FAMILY HAVE WEBBED FEET • MINK • OTTER

MINK • 2 -3 FEET LONG • UP TO 3. 5 POUNDS • DARK CHOCOLATE BROWN • LIVE IN/NEAR WETLAND WATER SOURCE • LIKE TO SWIM • PARTLY WEBBED FEET • EAT MUSKRATS & STORE FOOD IN DENS

OTTER • 10 -30 LBS • EAT FISH • MEDIUM BROWN FUR • LIGHTER CHIN • LIVE IN/NEAR WATER

WOLVERINE AVERAGE WEIGHT 22 -30 POUNDS CALLED SKUNK BEAR PACING GAIT – WHEN WALKING HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V= P 3 XH QM 7 WMXI

V. FRONT & BACK FOOT DIFFERENT – 5 TOES, PACING GAIT • A. LONG HIND FOOT • 1. SKUNK • 2. BEAR • B. FRONT FOOT LIKE HAND • 1. RACCOON (PHOTO B) • 2. OPOSSUM (HIND FOOT OPPOSABLE THUMB) PHOTOA

SKUNKS • LONG CLAWS • 5 ON FRONT/5 ON BACK • BACK FOOT LONGER THAN FRONT • PACING GAIT • LEAVE LITTLE HOLES WHERE THEY DIG FOR GRUBS

HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=VZWLK ANA 43 W

RACCOON • • • HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=2 GLUR 7 A-HPS

OPOSSUM • BACK FOOT REAR FACING TOE • FRONT FOOT LIKE HUMAN HAND PRINT • • HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=S NFEEVD 3 YVG

BEAR • REAR LOOK LIKE HUMAN FOOT PRINT • FRONT HEEL MAY NOT TOUCH GROUND • PACING GAIT • LONG CLAWS (5 & 5) • TEAR UP ROTTING LOGS • DEN IN WINTER

BEAR SAFETY • BLACK BEAR : • HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=Q Z 9 GZIMGRMW&FEATURE=YOUTU. BE • HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=USW RBZLHIXQ • BROWN BEAR: • CHARGE: HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=SLMA 5 -N 2 OVC • ON TRAIL HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=IRHI 3 Z 7 XCOO • OFF TRAIL HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=D 6 NFNSGO 3 L 0 • CAN YOU OUT RUN IT? HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=JQGILMPZDBW

BEAR SAFETY TIPS • 1) NEVER : • RUN • 2) MAKE NOISE SO BEAR KNOWS YOU ARE THERE: DON’T SURPRISE THEM • 3) BACK SLOWLY AWAY, DROP ANY FOOD YOU HAVE • 4) BLACK BEAR CHARGE: LOOK BIG, THROW THINGS • 5) BROWN BEAR ACTUAL ATTACK: LAY ON BELLY PROTECT HEAD

VI. RABBITS & RODENTS • LONG THING HIND FEET – 5 TOES (4 IN RABBITS BUT USUALLY CANT SEE THEM) • SMALL ROUND FRONT FEET – 4 TOES • GALLOPING PACE: BACK FEET OVERLAP FRONT TRACK (IF SMALL) • FRONT FEET TOGETHER = TREE DWELLER • FRONT FEET APART = GROUND DWELLER

• • RABBIT NOCTURNAL HERBIVORE FOLLOWS SAME PATH DAY AFTER DAY GOOD TO EAT! HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=H QTKYKNK 5 T 8 LYNX HTTPS: //WWW. YOUTUBE. COM/WATCH? V=SWISMSWGBKE

SQUIRREL –

• • • SQUIRREL TREE DWELLER DIURNAL HERBIVORE – NUTS BERRIES FRUIT GOOD TO EAT

• MOUSE • CATCH IN PIT TRAPS/DEAD FALL

• • • BEAVER WEBBED TOES PACING GAIT HERBIVORE MAKES RUNS: SNARES WORK

• • • PORCUPINE LONG CLAWS PACING GAIT HERBIVORE CLIMBS TREES, VERY SLOW

VI. ANIMALS WITH HOOVES • DIRECT REGISTER • DEW CLAWS MAY SHOW • DIAGONAL WALK/ALTERNATING WALKING PATTERN • NARROW END POINTS TO WHERE THEY ARE GOING • DEEPER TRACK WITH HOOVES SPREAD APART = LARGER ANIMAL • ALL TEND TO FOLLOW DAILY PATTERNS – TRAILS

VII. WALKING BIRDS • 3 SKINNY TOES IN ANCHOR/ARROW SHAPE • TOES POINT FORWARD • DIAGONAL/ALTERNATING TRACK PATTERN

• TURKEY TRACKS 3 -5 INCHES • PREFER TO WALK BUT CAN FLY • ROOST IN TREES AT NIGHT

VIII. SWIMMING BIRDS • 3 WEBBED TOES • GEESE, DUCKS • IN MUD NEAR WATER

IX. FLYING BIRDS • 3 TOES FACE FORWARD 1 FACES BACK • HERON TRACKS BY WATER • RAPTOR TRACKS IF TALONS SHOW • ALTERNATING TRACKS IF WALKING • PAIRS OF TRACKS IF HOPPING