Here’s a basic quiz of a common animal that is familiar to most folks.
Photo 33A
Habitat: Marsh &
forested swamp in suburban central Connecticut.
Time of year: January
Photo 33B shows a trail in
snow, going across the open, frozen marsh. The stride ranged from 28
to 36 inches.
Photo 33C
Photos 33C & 33D are close-ups of the track groups. The groups of
tracks measured 4½ inches long. The trail width was 4¾ inches. The
“trail width” of the 2 smaller feet measured 1½ inches. The larger 2
feet measured 2¼ - 2½ inches long by 1 inch wide. The smaller 2 feet
measured 1¾ inches long by 1 inch wide.
Photo 33D
Photo 33E shows the trail of
the same animal, where it left the open marsh and entered the woods,
where it crossed a frozen pond. The snowpack was lighter here in the
trees; just a dusting on top of the ice. The stride here was 18
inches, and the trail width was 3½ inches. All other measurements
were similar to those seen in the open swamp.
Photo 33F - closer up
Photo 33G - and even closer
Questions:
Who is the mystery animal?
What type of gait was it using?
Which tracks are the front, and which are the hind?
