Page 10 - North Haven Magazine Issue 16 Holiday 2020

Who Came Into Our Yard?
Who Came Into Our Yard?

by Sally Brockett
Animals tell many stories about their life experiences, which can be read by analyzing their
tracks in the snow. First, one must identify the animal which made the snow tracks. Then, by
following the tracks, you may learn where the animal went, whether it encountered any other
animal - friend or foe, whether it was in a hurry, or just out to find a meal. Tracking animals
is a great activity for children to do with their families.

fter a snow fall, when the snow is fresh and not blown by the wind, bundle up and
Aventure out to see what can be discovered. The hunt for tracks can be done in your own
backyard, or you can visit the local town parks, or open fields. Let’s look at some examples
of what you may find. Deer Tracks

Rabbits can be found in many locations Dogs come in many sizes so their track is sometimes distorted because the hind
and their tracks are easy to identify, even size will vary depending upon the breed foot tends to step into the print left by the
for beginners. Typically, the hind legs leave of the dog. You will see 4 front pads that front foot. The point of the triangle, which
a longer mark while the front paws create are an oval shape, and a larger triangu- is in the front, always shows the direction of
a small oval shape. The spacing and shape lar pad behind the front pads. Sometimes travel. So you can either follow the deer in
will depend on whether the rabbit is mov- the nail prints will show at the front of the the direction it is heading, or you can track
ing slowly, or rapidly fleeing. You may find oval pads. Because there are so many ca- it back towards where it came from.
a single trail, or because rabbits are more nines that might be out in the snow, it can
socially inclined, you might find quite a be tricky to know if you have found a dog
few tracks together. Can you find where the print, or a print from a fox, or coyote.
rabbit stopped to eat?
Coyote prints can be the same size, or larg-
er, or smaller than a dog print, however,
their nails show more frequently. Coyote
front paws and pads are larger than their
hind paws and pads, and the overall shape
is more oval than that of a dog. Observe the
trail of the prints – coyotes tend to travel in Turkey Tracks
a straight line, while dogs tend to serpen-
tine. Turkey tracks should be easy to identify
because there are not many local birds that
Rabbit Tracks will make such a large print in the snow.
Turkeys generally travel in flocks, so you
Mice are also common and though they may find many tracks together, either trav-
may not spend a lot of time outdoors in the eling in a group as they wander and feed, or
snow, there are times when they venture walking in a line towards a roosting place.
out to find food. Depending on the quali- There are three long, narrow rectangular
ty of the snow, you may see tiny paw prints toes forward and a small dot at the back.
with 4 toes from the front paws, and larg- The tracks measure from 3 ¾ -5 inches long
er prints with 5 toes from the hind paws. and 4-5 inches wide. Canadian geese tracks
When the snow is powdery, the tail may Cat Tracks are a similar size, but they show distinctive
leave a thin line between the paw prints as webbing between the toes. When walking,
it drags through the snow. Mice trails often Cat prints can also be a challenge because the turkey stride is 5” to 13” long, but their
curve and twist as the mice scurry around feline tracks have similarities to canine running stride is up to 33” long. See if you
looking for food. If you follow it backwards, tracks. But if you observe carefully, you can can find tracks of a turkey running!
you may be able to locate a hole in the snow learn to tell the difference. Cats keep their
that leads into the mouse’s house. claws retracted when moving, so you will There are many identification guides avail-
not see claw prints. The heel pad of the cat able to help learn to recognize tracks in the
will have three lobes showing on the back snow. Check out the Internet for websites
edge, while the dog heel pad will show two about wildlife and visit the library or nature
lobes. Overall, the shape of the cat’s track centers to find field guides or brochures.
will be round, while the dog print will be This is a great winter activity to get the
longer or more rectangular. children reading and moving through their
yards and parks to see if they can identify
Deer tracks are usually easily identified be- who has been visiting after the snow fall.
cause they are hooved animals. The tracks
Mouse tracks showing tail mark in snow. are usually triangular; however, the shape

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North Haven Magazine - Holiday Issue 2020