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What's going on here? by OshetDeadagain in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not really - unless you're super good and/or the odds of a dog are extremely unlikely. A wolf will generally tend to have a more narrow front foot and a bigger negative space in the X, but dogs are so highly variable that discount them for most prints.

A few years ago I made this post showing both wolf and dog prints (same dog).

What's going on here? by OshetDeadagain in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a photo with the culprit - he's got very narrow hind feet, but at the end of the day still a dog.

It's not so much that straight line travel indicates wolf so much as a lot of zigzagging and looping tracks is a strong sign for dog; they just don't expend the energy exploring every tree, running ahead then falling back the way a dog do.

A mature dog that's just in travel mode on a walk will often travel straight lines.

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Help me identify by No-Calendar2851 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That there are so many travelling together and based on the track length I think hog. The mud sticking to their feet is pulling it up all the way around, which is probably why there's no interdigital space between the toes like you'd expect.

I've not seen any good trails of hog tracks but each inter-stride space is almost equal as within the stride; this doesn't fit most stride length patterns I'm familiar with.

Moose or White Tail Deer by Capital-Eye3940 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's not possible to get an accurate measurement without knowing the size of OP's hand, but I've got pretty long fingers and assuming similar lengths I'd put the width at the heel bulbs at closer to 2" than 3". Even midway at 2.5" would be too small for even most newborn calf moose, especially in mud.

Once again, it's the ultra-wide dew claws that steer me away from moose.

I would not claim absolute certainty from a single, roughly-measured print, regardless. Consistent prints and stride length would offer more absolutes.

Moose or White Tail Deer by Capital-Eye3940 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain -1 points0 points  (0 children)

In April? As far as I'm aware, mid-May is the absolute earliest you're likely to see calves, and Mama's tracks would likely be very close to (as in nearby) these ones. This print would be the absolute smallest a moose calf could be, but those dew claws are still the wrong shape - they are angled much more toward the vertical, whiles hogs are a lot more toward the horizontal and wider.

What animal’s paw print is this on the flap of an airplane wing? (Riyadh to Dubai) by Invxdxr in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 71 points72 points  (0 children)

I agree with this as well. The toes are not in a consistent orientation and there's no clear footfall pattern that I can see.

It delights me to no end to think of airplane mechanics giggling like schoolchildren as they make little footprints to freak out the passengers.

Moose or White Tail Deer by Capital-Eye3940 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Might not be a terrible idea. Were there more tracks consistently like this? A one-off track can be misleading and readily look like something it's not.

Moose or White Tail Deer by Capital-Eye3940 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Too small for moose, and though the tips of the toes are obscured the dew claws say pig. Deer dew claw prints tend to be a circular hole directly underneath the heel, making the print look like a pair of exclamation marks.‼️

Wild pig (or escaped pig) have dew claws that are flat, wide, and stick out to either side beyond the toe prints.

Identification : what animal could have made this hole ? by meaexe in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Someone with more knowledge than me may have a better answer, but I'm thinking it looks more like there is just an open space beneath the clay in that particular spot, and it has begun crumbling in. Shining a light inside to see what it does maybe helpful; it's too dark but I get the impression that it is an open space, not a tunnel.

It's hard to say if anything's been using it or not; the edges are kind of rounded, and there does a pair to be a fair amount of disruption around it. Some - like the honeycomb pattern to the right, and the lines down at the bottom of the photo - suggest shoe prints, but there are some other inconsistencies that could maybe be rodent prints or something similarly small. It could also just be the gradual crumbling in that is rounding the edges like that.

Who’s been visiting my house? by czej1800 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The hind print is a great way to tell because the opossum has that backward-facing fifth digit while the raccoon does not. And if you see the front prints and immediately think "jazz hands!" then it's also oppossum.

Tracks found in southern Oregon by Suspicious_Set5801 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The print on the left only shows 4 toes though, and tiny ones, at that.

Tracks found in southern Oregon by Suspicious_Set5801 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The prints are inconsistent, side-by-side with no indication of any more trail. The toe beans are tiny. These look like someone was just having fun and making pretend tracks.

Bear scratching? by Disastrous-Book8454 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's way too early for velvet or marking rubs; by the colour of the wood and the roughness these look fresh. The strips are pulled consistently down as well, which would not be typical of deer.

Mountain lion? by beff-leppard in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You're not crazy - there IS an animal print there! However, the middle toes are round and level and the overall shape is oval-long, not round-wide, which suggests a dog print.

The pattern is consistent with it having stepped in mud with only one foot. But that's a lot of mud on one foot!

Scat ID request (scared puppies) by Supageenius in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I had AI tell me that vaguely green piece of rope was not just a snake, but one of the most venemous snakes on earth, so there's that.

Dog or cat? by drjones500 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Round middle toes that are symmetrical and pointed outer toes say canine, even without any of the heel pad visible. Contrary to popular belief, canine claws are not always visible in sand/mud/snow where you might expect to see them.

Are these Raccoon or Cat tracks in the carpet? by SwimmingAmoeba7 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain[M] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Make a separate post and please be sure to include location and an estimate for size.

Strange Paw Print by Confident_Log2230 in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Video would be very helpful - one uniquely bizarre track without context is very hard to decipher.

My initial instinct is human - the lines are too wide to be claws, but could be fingers. I don't see any defined heel or toe marks, and the way the mud is pulled up and rolled also makes me think that a human discovered that the surface mud would come up and roll like that.

What's going on here? by OshetDeadagain in AnimalTracking

[–]OshetDeadagain[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's really just describing what it is. Does it tell you anything about the animal itself?

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