How we can identify animals by Footprints, Pellets, Nuts and Seeds, Droppings and Skulls

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Footprints - Mammals

Shrew PrintSHREW

Very faint, with five toes on the front feet (mice and voles have four.)


    

Mouse PrintMOUSE

This is a wood (field) mouse: the house mouse is only about half this size!

 
    

Vole PrintsVOLE

Rather like a mouse print, but broader – they also have shorter tails which may not show in soft mud or snow.

 
    


Rat PrintsBROWN RAT

Like mouse trails but much larger. Often found in dust in warehouses.

 
    





hedgehog PrintHEDGEHOG

Five toes on each foot but often looks like four because the thumb is faint. Front foot much broader than the hind foot.

 
    



Cat PrintDOMESTIC CAT

The track is almost circular with four toes showing and no claw marks because they are retracted when walking.

 
    



Rabbit PrintRABBIT

Pointed foot with springy patches of hair rather than pads, so usually not very clear. Trails often double back then disappear! But how?

 
    




Squirrel PrintsSQUIRREL

Squirrels move by hopping, so the prints appear in groups with the front prints behind the back ones! Trails nearly always start and end at a tree.

 
    






Fox PrintFOX

Similar to the dog but usually narrower with longer claw marks.

 
    









Dog PrintDOG

Like the fox above, but can be any size, and the pads are bigger.

 







F = Front footprint
H = Hind footprint
All prints shown are actual size.

Read More: Footprints - Birds

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