Tracks In The Snow

As a naturalist and observer, a person can spend a lot of time and effort trying to get close to wild animals, while most animals are trying hard to remain hidden from our view.  With the arrival of winter, observing animals directly becomes even more difficult.  Many stay hidden in nests and burrows, out of the wind and weather.  Others stay out of sight during the day when predators are able to more easily spot prey against a snowy, white backdrop, and only come out during the night to find food.  

When an animal does move around, it will often leave tracks in the snow and mud, providing clues for us to study.  Who made the track?  Where did the animal come from or go to?  Were they walking, searching for food, exploring shelter, or running, possibly from a predator?  Observing individual prints or groups of prints taken as an overall pattern in the habitats where they were made can reveal interesting facts about each one.

Field guides are an excellent source of information to supplement observations, and you should get to know the following six terms.  A track is an imprint of one foot whereas a trail is many tracks strung out in a pattern.  Direct registration, made by a fox, occurs when only one imprint is visible because the animal places its hind feet directly into the track left by the fore feet.  Indirect registration, made by a domesticated dog, is when the hind footprint appears just outside the fore footprint.  An alternating pattern made by a raccoon shows the left hind footprint next to the right front footprint and vice versa.  A hopping or bounding pattern from a rabbit shows front feet and hind feet together, with the hind feet appearing in front of the set of four prints. 

^{Clockwise from upper left: Bird track by Sharon James, Jan 2013; A trail of tracks by Denise Kitagawa, Feb 2018; Direct registration: Red fox tracks, by Kent Kanouse, Dec 2013; Indirect registration: Dog tracks in snow, by Jeanne Fox, Dec 2007; Alternating pattern: Raccoon prints in the snow, by Andrew, Mar 2017; Hopping pattern: Rabbit tracks in snow, by Ann, May 2019}

There are four general types of tracks made from feet.  Birds leave small, hopping, four-toed prints with either one toe pointing backwards and three toes pointing forwards, or in the case of woodpeckers, two toes pointing in each direction.  Hoofed animals including deer, horses, and sheep have larger, two-toed prints.  Animals with padded feet including dogs and cats leave a print showing four or five toes in front of a large back pad.  A non-descript category includes all of the tracks for animals that do not have feet or are not using their feet when the track is made.  Naturalists may also observe imprints in the snow or mud from other body parts.  These may include feather markings from tails or wings, wavy lines from dragging tails, or packed down areas from dragging bellies. 

In addition to tracks, other evidence provides information on what the particular animal was doing at that spot.  Scat is often distinctive for each animal, and the contents can show what the animal has been eating.  This will give us further clues to provide species identification, the size of the animal, and where it might be finding its food.  Toothmarks or claw marks on nearby vegetation can help to indicate a specific species.  Be sure to observe individual footprints, the overall trail of imprints, and the type of terrain and vegetation in the area.  Also note how wet or dry the snow or mud is, as this may make prints easier or harder to distinguish details.

Tracking can be a rewarding activity, providing many clues to help identify animals active in your area and what they are doing during this time of the year.  Next time, we will take a more in-depth look at some of the animals in the winter habitats of northern Illinois.