Animal Tracks

[William_Montgomery]

Came across these tracks yesterday on a popular dog walking path. They caught my attention as there was something slightly odd about them. They were quite long with splayed toes and looked a bit unusual. They had seemingly piqued somebody else's interest too, as a few of them had been circled in the sand.

After a bit of time staring, we came to a theory as to who their owner might be. I'd be curious to see if anybody else comes to a similar conclusion.

SAK is about 90mm long.

 

[FerlasDave]

Looks like a raccoon print to me.

 

[JonathanD]

Whereabouts in the country was it. And what was the environment in that area?

 

[William_Montgomery]

Whereabouts in the country was it. And what was the environment in that area?

Heathland in Suffolk.

 

[birchwood]

Looks like otter prints to me , but don’t know what it would be doing on heathland.

 

[Pattree]

Otter was my first thought but a shuffling badger can look like that.

Edited to ask:
Those look like hind paw prints.
Did you see its forepaw tracks?

 

[FerlasDave]

I would be interested to inspect some of the hair that is on the ground next to the track to see what information that would give.

 

[TeeDee]

Kinda long for a badger arn't they? Although I guess I'm used to seeing badger in muddier / forest ground.

Interesting.

 

[Broch]

Interesting!
I take it there is no tail trail?
Badger tracks I am familiar with and I am pretty certain they're not badger unless it's deformed.
Otter tracks usually show a clear webbing and they're too long for a normal otter track.
Highly unlikely, but they do look like coypu (now eradicated in the UK) and, anyway, they show webbing too.
Dave's idea of raccoon is close but they look too long (and even less likely than coypu ).

 

[William_Montgomery]

I think most mustelids would show five toes, whereas these prints just show four.

 

[Chris]

Looks almost beavery.

 

[William_Montgomery]

Interesting!
I take it there is no tail trail?
Badger tracks I am familiar with and I am pretty certain they're not badger unless it's deformed.
Otter tracks usually show a clear webbing and they're too long for a normal otter track.
Highly unlikely, but they do look like coypu (now eradicated in the UK) and, anyway, they show webbing too.
Dave's idea of raccoon is close but they look too long (and even less likely than coypu ).

No tail trail as far as I could see.

 

[Chris]

Are they definitely all 4 toe tracks? That first one looks like there might be a fifth slightly hidden by the leaf.

 

[William_Montgomery]

Are they definitely all 4 toe tracks? That first one looks like there might be a fifth slightly hidden by the leaf.

I can see what you mean. I'm pretty sure they are four toe tracks though. I followed them for a short time and didn't see a distinctive fifth toe. They didn't stray from the footpath as far as I followed them.

 

[TeeDee]

When you say Heathland , is there a noticeable water course reasonably close to the location?

 

[FerlasDave]

Interesting!
I take it there is no tail trail?
Badger tracks I am familiar with and I am pretty certain they're not badger unless it's deformed.
Otter tracks usually show a clear webbing and they're too long for a normal otter track.
Highly unlikely, but they do look like coypu (now eradicated in the UK) and, anyway, they show webbing too.
Dave's idea of raccoon is close but they look too long (and even less likely than coypu ).

I agree. Not the usual toes of either otter or badger. The phalanges are too extended and splayed for our natives, with the very definitive deep claws too. Too small to be a pine marten so my best guess would be a raccoon, I believe their numbers are growing in the uk albeit at a slow rate. They can be pretty big too!

 

[Broch]

Are they definitely all 4 toe tracks? That first one looks like there might be a fifth slightly hidden by the leaf.

Yeh, I thought there was a 'slight' fifth toe as well.

 

[Chris]

I agree. Not the usual toes of either otter or badger. The phalanges are too extended and splayed for our natives, with the very definitive deep claws too. Too small to be a pine marten so my best guess would be a raccoon, I believe their numbers are growing in the uk albeit at a slow rate. They can be pretty big too!

Today I learned! Had no idea we had raccoons wild in the UK at all. How interesting.

 

[Broch]

According to the Mammal Society there are no established racoon populations in the UK. None recorded in their latest atlas (2020). Occasional escapees seen.

 

[Broch]

I agree. Not the usual toes of either otter or badger. The phalanges are too extended and splayed for our natives, with the very definitive deep claws too. Too small to be a pine marten so my best guess would be a raccoon, I believe their numbers are growing in the uk albeit at a slow rate. They can be pretty big too!

Pine marten tracks are only up to 8.5cm (rear) that track looks more like 10cm+. I also think they are too long for pine marten.

Racoon tracks are a similar size to PM