Learn How To Identify Animal Tracks In The Snow
Snow days, sledding, snowball fights, and building snow sculptures are just some of the ways you can find enjoyment in the winter!
(MASSACHUSETTS) As we move deeper into January, the first significant snowfall of the season has graced Massachusetts with its presence. While many hope the snow stays mild, or away altogether, we must not forget the joy that snow has to offer us. Snow days, sledding, snowball fights, and building snow sculptures are just some of the ways you can find entertainment in the winter!
One perk of snow that many people overlook is the ability to use it to catch a glimpse of the various wildlife adventures that happen right under your nose. It can be shocking to learn just how many different animals cross your yard daily without you ever knowing! In addition to the fun of discovery, learning about animal footprints can help keep you and your pets safe.
Unless you are an avid nature enthusiast or animal lover, you may be asking what point there is in learning to identify animal tracks. Of the two reasons listed below, one is for entertainment, and the other is for practicality.
Fun for children and adults: Though especially entertaining for children, going on a hunt for animal tracks can bring just as much enjoyment to adults. You can even make a game of it, such as animal track bingo!
Safety: Though Massachusetts is relatively safe as far as dangerous wildlife goes, there are still several animals that can pose a risk. Black bears, coyotes, fishers, and even bobcats can pose a danger to small children and especially pets. Learning which of these animals frequent your yard could very well save your beloved dog or cat from becoming an untimely meal.
Identifying animal tracks in the snow can be as easy as holding up a reference to any tracks you see, but if you want to be more specific and or make it more fun, you will need the following:
Simple field guide
Ruler to measure the size of each track and the distance between sets of tracks (this helps you figure out whose track it is!)
Field journal to write down your observations
Camera to take photos of tracks you see (remember to place a ruler or small object next to the tracks in your photos so you can tell how big they really are)
Sense of adventure—you never know where the tracks will lead you!
An excellent reference tool you can use to help identify tracks has been provided by mass.gov and can be seen below. The Mass Wildlife Pocket Guide to Animal Tracks shows an image of the various animal tracks, as well as other descriptors such as size, track patterns, and whether the footprint is a front or hind track.
It is also important to understand the way in which various animals move. In general, there are four main types of track patterns to look out for in Massachusetts.
Hoppers (Mice, Chipmunks, Rabbits, & Squirrels): These animals do a leap-frogging movement, so their front feet land first and then their back feet land in front of their front feet.
Zig-Zaggers (Deer, Fox, Coyote, Moose, & Bobcat): Also called “perfect walkers,” these animals walk carefully to conserve energy. Their rear paw/hoof will land exactly where their front paw previously fell.
Waddlers (Beaver, Woodchuck, Skunk, Racoon, Muskrat, & Bear): These animals move one side of their body and then the other side when they walk. Their rear foot does not land where the front foot landed, so their tracks have four "waddle-like" prints.
Bounders (Otters, Weasels, Minks, & Fishers): Otters—and other animals in the weasel family—place their front feet down and leap! Their rear feet land in the exact spot where the front feet went, leaving two side-by-side tracks.