Tracking Quizzes

Quiz #3 - Question

Attached is a series of 3 digital photos of tracks of a mystery animal in fresh snow.

• Habitat: Small oak woodland, adjacent to a forested swamp, marsh, and open soccer/baseball fields in a city park. Residential area of suburb just outside of Hartford, CT.

• Time of year: Late December.

• Substrate: 4" of fresh, powdery snow.

• Footprint closeup is shown in Photo A3. The snow was too powdery to leave crisp, distinct prints, so this is the challenge to this quiz. Prints measured 2 ½" long by 2 ¼" wide. 

• Stride: 14" on average (ranged from 13" to 16").

• Trail Width: 4".

• Photo A1 shows trail going up a slight hill. Direction of travel was away from camera. Note you can see a house in the background - this house is on a very busy street that borders the woods.

• Photo A2 shows when the animal encountered a pair of small logs, it chose to step on the logs rather than jump over, go under, or go around. Note it maintained its stride and maintained almost perfect direct register during this maneuver. Direction of travel was towards camera. The footprints on the logs had a faint "skunky" odor. 

Good luck!
Brian

Photo A1 - Trail in Snow

Photo A2 - Trail over Log

Photo A3 - Footprint

Quiz #3 - Answer