Whose track is that?

Through snow, mud, sand or soil, animals (and humans) cannot hide their tracks or footprints. But how do we know what tracks we are looking at?

Why should we look for tracks?

Wildlife can sometimes be hard to spot, especially if it is nocturnal. But the signs that animals frequent an area can be a good start to discovering all kinds of species, from rare otters to common rabbits. In fact, ecologists rely on animal signs to help them understand the numbers, behaviours and movements of species. Such animal signs include calls, burrows, leftover meals, territorial markings, fur, droppings and tracks.

Scroll down to see some of the animal tracks you might come across. Remember to take a note of the size and shape, and the number of toe or ‘claw’ marks you can see. A photograph can be a handy way to help identification back at home!

Badger

Prints are very robust and broad (6.5cm wide). They show long claw marks and have five toe pads in front of a wide rear pad. Their front and back paws differ slightly: the front-paw marks have longer claw marks, while the back-paw marks show the inner toes to be a little further forward.

Deer or sheep

These both display their cloven hooves. Deer prints have two oblong and pointed toe impressions that sit alongside each other, making the shape of an upside-down heart. The tracks of sheep tend to be much more rounded at the top. Different species of deer can be hard to tell apart, but generally, the diminutive muntjac leaves tracks that are about 3cm long, while the impressively large red deer leaves tracks up to 9cm long.

Water voles and rats

Rat and water vole prints (pictured) both show five toes and can easily be confused. However, the hind feet of water voles show a distinctive splaying (star shape), with the two outer toes at right angles to the three inner toes. The toes in the hind feet of rats all sit parallel. Water vole prints tend to be about 3.5cm long with short heels, while rat prints tend to be 4.5cm long with long heels.

Ducks, waders and birds

These prints are quite easy to tell apart, but determining specific species is a different ball game! Duck prints have three claws with visible webbing in between them, while bird prints show a long middle toe, two shorter and splayed outer toes, and a long backward-pointing toe. Sparrows have small prints that appear in pairs because they hop, while pigeons have larger prints that alternate because they walk. Swans display prints like ducks, but much larger! Wader prints (pictured) are similar to duck prints, just without the webbing, and are disproportionately large in relation to body size. They also tend to walk in straight lines, with one foot in front of the other.

Have you seen any animal tracks recently? Share your pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! We may even be able to identify a mystery print for you.