Pros: Color plates, diagrams of fore and hind prints, walking gait, and scat when beneficial
Cons: Only 80 mammals, not intended to be comprehensive
The Bottom Line: I've worn out several copies of Familiar Animal Tracks of North America over the years and recommend this to anyone, any age, who is fascinated by the urban-wildlife interface.
pestyside's Full Review: John Farrand - Familiar Animal Tracks
What remains when an animal passes through undetected fascinates those who crave the connection with nature. Signs of wildlife are almost as intriguing as actual sightings. One need not be a professional naturalist to identify wildlife signs. A favorite resource for hikers everywhere has been the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide, Familiar Animals Tracks of North America.
This guide covers signs of 80 commonly found mammals. A simple visual key that relies upon footprints lumps mammals into six categories: hoof prints, tracks with fives toes and pads, tracks with four toes and pad, foot-like or hand-like tracks, rabbit-like tracks and small tracks. Each entry has a high-quality color photograph of the animal in its natural surroundings. Descriptive text on the opposite page provides some natural history, identification tips, habitats, and range as well as a diagram of the fore print, hand print and typical walking track. Many have diagrams of scat and other useful signs - not all animals produce distinctive scat but instead leave other evidence.
This small book is packed with details, some well known, some unknown to most readers. The text is not intimidating. I've had many students use this book with success.
Bobcat scat resembles dog droppings and is surrounded by scratch marks. They also leave scratch marks on nearby trees. My experience is that many also leave a strong feline urine smell behind but that might not be customary - it's not mentioned in the description.
Virginia Opossum, "the only pouched mammal, or marsupial, in North America, it looks rather like a large rat with big ears. It is mainly nocturnal, coming out under cover of darkness to forage for fruit, insects, eggs, and carrion. It is an expert swimmer and climber, and is active throughout the year. In cold winters its ears and tail tip often become frostbitten and tattered, adding to its already unkempt appearance."
Obviously not all of these animals are found in every part of the country but the distribution is wide enough (and diversity is common enough) that there's something for everyone watching signs along the trail. Signs consist of more than droppings--other evidence left for wildlife detectives include:
• Elk droppings form pats that resemble those of cattle; elk tracks resemble cattle tracks but can show "dewclaws" in wet soil or snow. • Martens prey on red squirrels but also eat fruit, nuts, and conifer seeds; they often leave their droppings at scat stations. • Striped skunks are omnivores and their diet is too variable for identification-their unique lingering sign quickly announces their presence. • If wandering Grizzly Bear country my suggestion is to generate lots of noise if you start seeing signs described in this book -- deep claw marks and stripped bark seven or eight feet up standing trees. • Muskrats build lodges using aquatic plants resembling beaver lodges but smaller; they typically create feeding platforms by scattering clipped plants on the water surface.
These are only some strategies for recognizing wildlife present in the community. Familiar Animal Tracks of North America (written by John Farrand initially in 1993) is part of National Audubon Society's Pocket Guide series. This horizontal-format book is 4 x 6 inches and easily fits pockets or small packs. The introduction consists of ten pages with tips for using the book, finding animal tracks and signs, and identifying animal tracks. If you think it's a raccoon but need to confirm your theory, go to the index and look up raccoon. It concludes with the visual key and an overview of the general features of the mammal orders and families. These are provided to aid identification of tracks and other signs:
Armadillos are in the family Dasypodidae. "Armadillos are best known for their armor-plated skin and their stout toes, which are equipped with strong claws for digging." In the Armadillo entry, "tracks are rabbit like, but with toes more widely spread and well defined, and with claw marks showing clearly, making them easy to identify."
The visual key gets users started and the book's organization makes this user-friendly for beginners. More comprehensive books are available but I've found this one of the best for beginners. This is simple, users must first find a track, then read through brief descriptions or look at the diagrams. I've worn out several books over the years and recommend this to anyone fascinated by the urban-wildlife interface. What furry creature just passed by might be answered using this guidebook.
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