AY Honors/Animal Tracking/Answer Key
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Revision as of 15:27, 12 December 2006 by Jomegat (talk | contribs) (→6. Name four signs of the presence of mammals.)
1. Know ten kinds of tracks, including two kinds of bird tracks. Make plaster casts of five.
2. Name at least three things that tracks tell us.
Animal tracks can tell us many things about the animal that made them, including:
- The species
- Its direction of travel
- How fast it was going
- How large it was
- How long ago the animal made the tracks.
- Sometimes tracks can tell the gender of the animal
- Sometimes tracks can tell us the animal's age.
3. Trail some animal tracks, identify the animal if possible, and tell whether it was running or walking. Measure between the tracks of one animal when running and walking.
4. Maintain a tracking station for at least three days by doing the following:
a. Select a flat open space in some quiet place near your camp or home.
b. Smooth out ground, mud, sand, etc.
c. Place food out for wildlife.
d. Check each day for tracks and replenish food when necessary.
5. Name two animals for each tracking group.
a. Flatfoots
b. Toe walkers
c. Toenail walkers
d. Bounders or long hindleggers
6. Name four signs of the presence of mammals.
Animals leave many indications that they were present. These are collectively called sign. Sign includes:
- Tracks
- Not only footprints, but marks left on the ground by the tail or by other body parts (think snakes).
- Scat
- Scat is another word for animal droppings or manure.
- Fur, skin, feathers, and antlers
- Animals may leave bits of fur behind if it gets caught in a tree's bark, or in thorns. Snakes and other reptiles shed their skin and leave it behind. Birds drop feathers and in the fall deer drop antlers.
- Cuttings
- Cuttings are things such as acorn shells which have been nibbled on. Deer and squirrel often leave them behind.
- Scratches on trees
- Bears, members of the cat family, and other predators will sharpen their claws on tree trunks. Sometimes they will do this to mark their territory.
- Scent Posts
- Many animals mark their territory by urinating on trees or other prominent items. If you are walking through the woods and smell a strong musky odor, look around — you may find other sign.
- Carcasses
- Once a predator has had its fill of a kill, it will leave the carcass. Some animals will guard their carcasses though so they can feed on them again after they've digested some of the previous meal, so be careful if you find one.
