February 6, 2015
Raccoon, Opossum, Skunk Tracks
This photo of a raccoon track, submitted by a Good Natured reader, clearly shows the imprint of the five digits on the animal’s left front paw. It also indicates two other things: That tracks will spread as snow melts and refreezes, causing them to appear larger than they were originally; and that, despite this phenomenon, the TriCities are home to some very large raccoons.
Well, it’s February, the month of love. The greeting card and candy companies know it. The jewelry stores know it. And so, too, do the raccoons, opossums and skunks.
They may not be out buying trifles and baubles, or making reservations at a romantic restaurant, but many of our local mammals will soon be finding themselves in the throes of an annual, (or semi-annual, since some will mate again in summer) hormonal surge.
What that means for them is that it’s time to rouse from winter torpor and find a mate.
For us, it means it’s a great time to head out and search–not for a mate (although I suppose that’s optional)–but instead for the signs of these three prolific local species. An added plus this year is the predicted warmer temperatures this weekend. Above-freezing temperatures will almost certainly have these animals up and on the move. Here’s what to look for:
Habits and Habitat: Raccoons, opossums and skunks all are denizens of both woodlands and suburbia. Of the three, raccoons are the best climbers and, despite their chunky build, quite agile too. (Just the other night I, and one very excited canine companion, watched one scamper along the top of a neighbor’s chain-link fence.) These facts are important because raccoons will choose tree cavities, if they can find them, as den sites, but in our neighborhoods have found attics and garage lofts make suitable substitutes.
Opossums can and do climb, and may make their homes in a tree cavities. But they are just as likely to adopt an unused burrow–or the space under a shed or deck. They’re also fairly adept at making their way into basements and crawlspaces. (Note: Despite what you may have seen in cartoons and kids’ books, opossums do not hang by their tails. It’s true, their tails are prehensile, or capable of grabbing, but they are incapable of supporting the weight of a full-grown opossum. The tails do aid in climbing though, and can be used to encircle leaves and other nest material.)
Skunks, by contrast, are strict ground dwellers. Long claws on their front feet mean they are well equipped for excavating burrows, either in wooded settings or under front steps, back steps, porches, decks or sheds.
All three animals are omnivores, meaning they eat plant and animal material. They’re great scavengers too and, I swear, know neighborhood trash pickup schedules just as well as human residents do.
All three also are nocturnal, so the best time to look for their track is in the morning, after they’re all back “in bed.” This habit is also handy to keep in mind if you’re trying to figure out whether, or which, one is residing in or near your house. Sprinkle flour around the suspected area of entry, then check the next morning for tracks or other signs of activity.
Tracks
Raccoon tracks are likely the most common tracks you’ll see, especially if your tracking adventures take you near a a picnic shelter. Front paw prints, to me, look like miniature human hands, with five digits prominently displayed. Hind prints, which also have five digits, are longer, and tend to show the more of the foot pad. Raccoons lumber as they walk; that is, they move both limbs on one side at the same time–they don’t alternate the way dogs and cats (and people) do. Therefore, their tracks display a side-by-side quality:The front pawprint from one side of the body will be adjacent to the rear print from the opposite side.
Opossum tracks are fun for two reasons. The five digits of the front paws splay out in a shape that is remarkably star like. And the rear paws, which also have five digits, include an opposable thumb as the innermost digit on either side. Sometimes though the front and hind prints will overlap, making the sign look as though it was left by a much larger animal. In my experience, the star-like quality is still somewhat apparent in the forward part of the track; also, if the snow’s not too deep, you can also usually make out the print of the opposable thumb.
Skunk tracks can be hard to figure out, especially if you’re dealing with less-than-optimal tracking conditions, like melty snow, compacted soil or other substrate. Even though their feet have five digits front and back, the toes are shorter, which makes it harder to distinguish each individually.
Front paws, to my eye, often leave prints that are rounded and cat like, but with five toes instead of the four that feline tracks display. If you can, look for little dots a short distance ahead of the front paw prints. Those marks are imprints made by the skunk’s long claws.
Scat
Because all three of these mammals are omnivores and scavengers, scat composition varies widely with location and season. Animals that live near birdfeeders are going to display lots of seed hulls. When berries are ripe, look for dark, moist scat with intact berry seeds protruding.
During winter, when diets typically contain less moisture, raccoon scat tends to be tubular, with blunt ends–kinda like little cigars. They usually will leave this sign at the base of trees. But, for some reason, raccoons like to “go” up, off the ground, on fallen logs and low stone fences. They will also commonly create latrines–areas where scat literally piles up. A word of caution when investigating this sign: Raccoons, perhaps more than any other local mammal, carry all kinds of diseases and parasites. All those things you vaccinate your pets against? Raccoons are vectors. All those worms you hope your pet doesn’t get? Raccoons usually have them, and shed their eggs in their scat.
Opossum and skunk scat can be a little trickier. It will be smaller than raccoon and, in my experience, darker, with tapered ends. But, again, these characteristics will depend on diet, and diet will depend on what is most readily available. Here’s just as good a time as any for an important reminder: If you or anyone you know puts dog or cat food outside, and you or anyone you know suspects a problem with unwanted wildlife, take that food away! Or, at the very least, put the food out for only a short period of time and monitor who’s eating it. The same reminder can also apply to birdfeeders. If you’re finding signs from more than just birds, bring your feeders in at night (or seal them inside metal trashcans) do deter nocturnal diners.
Pam Erickson Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.