Waterville animal tracks

[gram]

Here are three pictures from last Saturday.

http://picasaweb.google.com/gram123456/WatervilleValley112407/photo#5136571948608721682

I'm womdering what animal this might be? Looks like the prints might have been made in slush which then froze solid. The animal prints were the only ones that went down to the "leaf layer." All the other human and dog footprints were on top of the crusty snow. The animal walked in a straight line for a good long way.

Ideas?

 

[NewHampshire]

Unfortunately the pictures are too undescernable to be of any use. The best I can say is that I don't see claw marks (assuming what I think is the "front" IS the front) thus would put it in the cat family. Maybe Bobcat that was enlarged due to slush and melt distorting it?????

Brian

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Unfortunately the pictures are too undescernable to be of any use...
Brian

I agree...except for the "undescernable" part. I'd go with indiscernible.

 

[nartreb]

No detail within the prints, and can't say much from the size - tracks can expand as they melt - except they're a little small for mountain lion, lynx, or wolf [any of which would be remarkable or even newsworthy at that location].

The stride pattern (nearly linear, and mostly "perfect stepping", ie back foot lands in same spot as front foot just vacated), is consistent with either felines (bobcat) or canines (fox or coyote). You'd normally distinguish between the two by looking for claw marks (cats normally sheathe their claws while travelling), but I can't see enough detail to know whether claw marks are absent or just melted out. If you could see the shape of the pads, that would make it easy: tracking guide
canine vs feline

The first guide also mentions which species are more likely to drag their feet, but in shallow, half-melted tracks I wouldn't count on being able to see that. Also, some species are said to favor straight lines and others to wander, but that probably doesn't apply when the animal is following a manmade trail.

 

[DrewKnight]

Bobcat sighting last week in WV

I can't tell much from the photo, either -- though the in-line path is consistent with cats. I can tell you, however, that a friend had a "confrontation" with a bobcat in her back yard on the east side of WV just last week, so they are out and active in the area.

My friend said she had just stepped out the back door of her home off Noon Peak Road when she noticed a bobcat along the treeline about 20 feet away. She tried to shoo it away but it just stood there eyeing her balefully, so she eventually retreated back into the house.

 

[Waumbek]

Thanks, nartreb, that's a compact and useful guide to canine v. feline tracks. Every winter, I look for, and usually find, bobcat tracks on trails and forest roads in the Franconia area. I've seen bobcats themselves four times here, a few times in VT. To find bobcat prints, first look for an area with lots of snowshoe hare prints and then inspect them closely for the feline prints near or on top of the rabbit tracks as the 'cat pursues its prey. Also, a basic difference between feline and canine tracks is the heel pad. Feline heel pads are slightly indented on top (i.e., the end near the toe pads). Next time, gram, try to get a picture that shows the heel pad, although it's important to also get a picture like you have of the step pattern. Keep looking; you'll probably find more. Put a quarter or some other marker down so you will have a relative sense of size when you look at your picture later on.

 

[gram]

I also thought bobcat, because of the in-line footprints and the distance between each print. Yet in the pic with my boot, the track looks huge. Must be the rain enlarged the footprints.

Thanks for the links, nartreb, they're good to bookmark.

 

[NewHampshire]

I agree...except for the "undescernable" part. I'd go with indiscernible.

Now now, no need to be condescerning .

Brian