February 27, 2015 Bird Tracks Good Natured reader Vanessa Quillinan spotted this birdy “snow angel” last year while snowshoeing at Corron Farm in Campton Township. Judging by the size of the wingspan, as well as other clues at the scene, Vanessa guessed that the print was made by a hawk. Anyone who’s ever kept a
Animal Tracks, Bird, Tracks
February 20, 2015 Mink Tracks Well furred to guard against the cold, mink paws have five toes and measure from 1 ¼ to 2 in. in length. Mink live where prey animals are plentiful. In the TriCities, their habitat ranges from marshes and streambanks to retention ponds in subdivisions and shopping complexes. Several years ago,
Animal Tracks, Mink, Tracks
February 13, 2015 Rabbits and Squirrels Squirrel prints are pictured, left, next to rabbit, right. If you were to draw an outline around the SQuirrel tracks, you’d find them to be SQuare-ish in shape, while rabbit tracks form an approximation of a Y, as in bunnY. If you happen to live on the edge of
Animal Tracks, Rabbits, Squirrels, Tracks
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
Animal Tracks, Opposum, Raccoon, Skunk, Tracks
January 30, 2015 Coyote Fox Dog Tracks Masters of effi ciency, red foxes and coyotes walk in direct register, meaning they place their hind feet directly on top of the prints left by their front feet. This trait means their tracks typically proceed in a straight line. In this photo, taken as a light snow
Animal Tracks, Coyote, Dog, Fox, Tracks
January 23, 2015 Tracking Deer Last week’s Good Natured photo showed a typical tracking scenario: a well-used trail in a suburban park. But hidden in plain sight amid all the foot traffic was the track of a white-tailed deer, above. The strategically placed lip balm serves as a guide to relative size. Walking along a
Animal Tracks, Deer, Tracking, White-Tailed Deer
January 16, 2015 Tracking Puzzel If you get up and out early, you might be lucky enough to follow a single animal’s tracks through pristine snow. However, well-traveled trails are more the norm in our suburban natural areas. Can you spot the wildlife sign amongst these many prints of boots and shoes? We all have
Animal Tracks, Hike, Snow, Tracking