While away at Morches I came across these tracks down by the stream my guess would be a mink. What dose every one else think ?
cheers Russ
cheers Russ
Any guesses
- Thread starter warthog1981
- Start date
Too big for mink IMHO. But too small for badger, and a little too long too...badgers tend to be fatter prints than that.
The lower one is fox forepaw print. The upper one is a little less clear but my money would be on the foxs rear paw.
Hard to see on this pic but the telling difference would be the number of toes in this case - I think there are 4 there.
The lower one is fox forepaw print. The upper one is a little less clear but my money would be on the foxs rear paw.
Hard to see on this pic but the telling difference would be the number of toes in this case - I think there are 4 there.
No idea, I had thought Otter, but after looking around I'm not so sure now!
Found some useful snippets to browse while searching though:
http://www.skullsite.co.uk/prints/index.htm
http://www.watervolescotland.org/#/footprints/4527033405
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/field_guides/animal_tracks.shtml
Found some useful snippets to browse while searching though:
http://www.skullsite.co.uk/prints/index.htm
http://www.watervolescotland.org/#/footprints/4527033405
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/field_guides/animal_tracks.shtml
Just does not look "foxy" to me..... seems to narrow at the back of the print.. if you see what I mean
It does look like an extra toe in your photo
It does look like an extra toe in your photo
I've no idea where this was taken, but the foot print looks like the hind foot of an otterWhile away at Morches I came across these tracks down by the stream my guess would be a mink. What dose every one else think ?
cheers Russ
I saw the tracks, like little long hands. I too thought Mink or maybe stoat.
I think I need a new tracking guide, the Hamlyn one I have, just isn't clear enough for someone who doean't do very much of it.
cheers,
Toddy
I think I need a new tracking guide, the Hamlyn one I have, just isn't clear enough for someone who doean't do very much of it.
cheers,
Toddy
They are too small to be otter. Otters are surprisingly large animals, wrong shape for fox and badger.Also there are 5 toes and fox only show 4. I hate trying to id tracks from photos, it is just so difficult because you can't tell if the ground is really soft making the tracks bigger than the foot that made them etc...
It certainly looks to be stoat shaped to me, mink tend to look more star shaped with the toes splayed a bit wider than in your photo.
Not 100% sure but I'd say stoat. Are there pine martens where you were? I've never seen a pine marten track but that could be another possibility.... In fact sorry if I'm being a bit thick but where is Morches? It would be easier to narrow it down if I know what species are present there.
I'd need to look for feeding signs/scat etc to be certain, like I said photos are really hard to id!
Have I decided yet? Oh yeah I'm going for stoat, but I could be wrong...aaaargh!
It certainly looks to be stoat shaped to me, mink tend to look more star shaped with the toes splayed a bit wider than in your photo.
Not 100% sure but I'd say stoat. Are there pine martens where you were? I've never seen a pine marten track but that could be another possibility.... In fact sorry if I'm being a bit thick but where is Morches? It would be easier to narrow it down if I know what species are present there.
I'd need to look for feeding signs/scat etc to be certain, like I said photos are really hard to id!
Have I decided yet? Oh yeah I'm going for stoat, but I could be wrong...aaaargh!
I figured that you'd be along soon enough Rhoda! ;-)
We couldn't figure out if there were 5 toes or 4. The ground wasn't too soft as it was made up of coarse grit so whatever made them had some weight to it.
No other signs that we saw but then I reckon you would have spotted loads.
Location was SW Scotland on the A76 between Dumfries and Ayr.
Mark.
We couldn't figure out if there were 5 toes or 4. The ground wasn't too soft as it was made up of coarse grit so whatever made them had some weight to it.
No other signs that we saw but then I reckon you would have spotted loads.
Location was SW Scotland on the A76 between Dumfries and Ayr.
Mark.
Ok I'll stick with my first guess although they are quite large for stoat. Happy for someone to prove me wrong though....shame Angie is away, she likes stoats and weasles and would probably be able to tell straight away 
The trouble is, I would have thought a stoat, in fact all of these animal would have noticed dropping a pound coin! Baffled!
I saw a stoat in the wood about 60m away, if that helps any.
Did occur to me though that it's still the right time of the year for juvenile otters.
Hooray! Stoat then... or baby otter, I don't think that the tracks look quite right for otter though - again hard to tell from a photo.
....or it may have been a weasel
. I've never seen either before.What I saw wasn't a mink, ferret or pine martin, those I'd have known, and it didn't lay down those tracks(they're too big). It had a young vibe to it and was only about the length of a mink(and thinner). Light grey and ran a bit like a squirrel with slightly longer bounds.
For the track I'm going to go with a young otter. I've seen family groups twice, both around this time of year, and the cubs have been about two-thirds the size of the parents and their paws a good bit slimmer.
....but could just as easily be one of the parents of the wee grey whatever-it-was.
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