Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Look for the similar-sized front and hind short-pads indicative of a badger print. The pads are surrounded by five, round toe prints. Claw prints are often visible a few inches above the middle toes of the front paw.
Identify a black bear's prints by its five toes. The front-track palm is 1 or 2 inches shorter than the rear paw prints. Rear paw prints are up to 7 inches long and 5 inches wide for an adult black bear; front paw prints are up to 5 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Look for red fox print by four, widely spaced toes. These toes are sometimes hard to distinguish; the toes might be covered in fur during the winter months. The pads of the red fox are calloused; often these callous marks show up in the print. Red-fox tracks are often formed in a straight line, with one print directly in front of the other.
Search for opossum tracks by looking for a hind foot with four fingers and an opposable thumb; the thumb extends almost behind the pad of the paw. The front paw has five fingers that are more widely spaced then the hind paw; the thumb sits closer to the rest of the fingers on the front foot. Front tracks are often 1 1/2 inches tall by 2 inches wide, and the hind tracks are 2 1/2 inches tall and wide. A 6- to 10-inch stride usually exists between the tracks.
Find the short pad -- surrounded by four, wide toes -- of the Canada lynx. These mammals are endangered and extremely rare. The toes are evenly spaced, with little space between the pad and toes. The length of the track is usually around 4 to 5 inches; the width is about 6 inches.
Spot timber wolf tracks in areas far from a human population. The timber wolf has a wide pad surrounded by four, fat toes with claw marks. Little difference is apparent between the front and hind paws, though the front is slightly larger. The tracks of a full-grown timber wolf are between 4 1/4 and 4 3/4 inches long. The stride between the prints is 26 to 30 inches.
Identify raccoon tracks by noting a dramatic difference in length between the front and hind feet; the hind feet are considerably longer. Unlike other animals, the raccoon track looks like a hand. The toes and pad appear connected, rather than separated in the manner of most mammal tracks. The track has five fingers and a long pad for the hind foot. Five fingers and a short pad are found on the front foot.
Identify white-tail deer tracks by a heart-shaped indentation in the earth. The track contains no toes, and consists of a hoof. The pointed end of the track points in the direction the deer was moving.