Animal Tracks

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William_Montgomery

Full Member
Dec 29, 2022
962
1,431
East Suffolk
What might we be looking at with this one?

It looks like a rabbit and a fox, with a scattering of white hair over the prints. The long claw marks are strange. I wondered if it could be a rabbit being taken by a fox.

I am struggling to make sense of those long claw marks though. They seem to curve outwards in a uniform way.

Any thoughts?

SAK: 90mm

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Long shot, but do you live anywhere near where Beavers have been released?
I think wild beavers have been spotted in Norfolk, but not where I am in Suffolk... yet.

What sort of location is this - open field ? Near water ?
Yes, I should have said.
Village location found in an open field. Surrounded by agricultural land, nearby (less than a mile from) a marshland reserve. The marshland is the only large watersource nearby. Plenty of rabbits seen in the immediate area.

Looks like a Badgers prints.
I see what you mean, with the long claws. But, they are very small and the long heel seems out of place and more akin to a rabbit print in terms of size and texture. But then why the long claws?

The canine print above is quite small and long. I think it resembles a fox more than a dog.
 
Could it be a dog or fox, with back feet sliding back as it pushed off (maybe playing or pouncing from resting on its haunches) and leaving those claw ‘scratch’ marks and the elongated depressions?
Could well be. As there isn't anything similar in front or behind, it would make sense as a behavioural track rather than a walking track.

Are there a series of elongated ones?
Took a wider shot this morning. I can't see any other particularly defined ones. Though the area has been pretty hammered by rain and dogs.
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I was wondering the same - possibly bounding explaining the claw indentations.
Even if you look at the exterior of the image I can't see anything else obvious as other track ( but quite possible due to velocity that they their secondary set are out of frame ? ) but I'm not sure the nature of foot placement when a hare or rabbit bounds. ?
 

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