Tracking post – Guelph, ON

Date: Feb 18, 2024

Place: Arboretum, University of Guelph, Guelph ON.

Time: 3:30 pm – 4:50 pm.

Discussion: went for a quick tracking walk in the University of Guelph’s Arboretum. I haven’t done very many tracking posts recently because I found them too time-consuming. I’m going to try and do more posts, but maybe with less detail. There was recent snow on the ground and the temperature was around -1 C. I wanted to find some examples of different gaits – particularly of Canids. I wasn’t paying too much attention to species, although I think I did recognize coyote, dog, and fox.

Main references:

‘The Tracker’s Field Guide: A Comprehensive Manual for Animal Tracking’, James C. Lowery, Second Edit., A Falcon Guide

‘Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species’, Mark Elbroch and Eleanor Marks, First Edit., Stackpole Books

Photos and quick thoughts: I found some Canid tracks that were quite complicated. I attempted to use the gaits shown on page 53 and page 60 (see illustrations below)

Fig 1
Fig 2

and the basic gaits on pages 71 – 73 of Elbroch. The first set of Canid tracks I display below illustrates the confusion I have been having. I can’t figure out which tracks are a group of 4. Does this represent a rotary gallop? A transverse gallop? There is a repeating pattern, but I can’t figure out from the diagrams in Elbroch what they represent:

Fig 3

The next set of Canid tracks is much easier as I’ve seen this one quite often. The gait is a side trot and I’ve indicated which tracks are which:

Fig 4

The next set of Canid tracks shows a related gait pattern. I am less confident about which tracks are which, but I’m pretty sure this is a straddle trot:

Fig 5

I guess this pattern could be interpreted as a rotary gallop, but I don’t think so. What makes it confusing is that I can’t reliably see which tracks are bigger (front tracks) and which are smaller (hind).

Here is another example of a side trot – I’ll let people decide for themselves which tracks are which:

Fig 6

Does the next set of Canid tracks represent a rotary gallop? I’ve circled the tracks in a set of 4, but I realize I could be way off here (there don’t seem to be any gaps between sets of 4 tracks which makes this hard to interpret). Maybe the 4 tracks are in a line like I’ve seen skunks do?:

Fig 7

Here is a similar one that totally confuses me:

Fig 8

It’s interesting because the drag lines show where some of the feet go. And another!

Fig 9

If the circles are correct then I guess this represents a rotary gallop.

Does the next set of tracks represent a transverse lope?

Fig 10

Now for a couple of different track sets. The four pictures below are definitely for a red squirrel because I saw it running away from me:

Fig 11
Fig 12
Fig 13
Fig 14

It’s interesting that the stride length here (about 38 inches) is outside the usual range for a red squirrel (Lowery), but I did scare it.

The next two pictures I think are consistent with mouse tracks, and show a bound with a tail drag:

Fig 15
Fig 16

Are the hind and front feet landing side by side?

The final picture is of something different – very large Maine Coon cat tracks (I know this because we frequently see this cat). Direct register walk. This wasn’t in the Arboretum, but in our yard at the southern end of Guelph:

Fig 17

Final thoughts: this was a somewhat frustrating tracking trip. I had hoped to figure out the gaits better. I think in future I should initially focus on clearer sets of Canid tracks so that I can at least consistently differentiate between front and hind tracks. And maybe avoid confusing sets of tracks where I can’t clearly see where a group of 4 tracks ends and the next set begins.

marcusgarvie

6 responses to “Tracking post – Guelph, ON”

  1. byron Avatar
    byron

    Hi Marcus,

    Great to see you are already trying to sort out the gaits on your own. I think it’s a good but hard task.
    Some notes to keep in mind for the future.. Measuring the trail width and sorting out which tracks are fronts and rears will always help getting to know which is the group of four and where the patterns begin again.
    For interpreting online, I appreciate that you put down a measuring tape, but this helpful when done consistently.

    Figure 3 looks like it could be a transverse gallop. What was the trail width?

    Figure 7 looks like the circles are off. I would start the groups of 4 with the track at the bottom of the photo. If they were sorted like that, it would be a lope.

    Figure 8 & 9 no idea

    Figure 10 transverse lope of a Skunk

    Figure 13 & 14 are the same photo

    Figure 15 is it a bound or a lope? I have been having a conversation around this with a pal out West. Do mice or voles sometimes lope like a weasel 2×2 or do they bound and we just can’t find the front tracks?

    Figure 17 has great mouse tracks too. I’d love to see a good photo of those.

    Gaits aren’t learned in a week. If they were, everyone would know them like they do Deer tracks. It takes patience and care. You’ve got both.

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  2. marcusgarvie Avatar
    marcusgarvie

    Thanks Byron. I really appreciate the care you took in responding to my posts. I have made some additional comments below:

    With regard to Fig 3, I didn’t take measurements. I will remember to do so in the future! So the the 1st group of 4 tracks starts at the bottom of the picture.

    With regard to Fig 7, I see that now. A rotary lope I guess.

    With regard to Fig 10, I would not have recognized this. Looking in the book by Lowery I see that the lengths of the front and hind tracks are approximately the same. So I’m not sure how you know this.

    Figs 13 and 14: I had meant to also show the track group length!

    Fig 15: yes, I struggled to see the front tracks but could not find them.

    Fig 17: yes I saw those! This was at my home. We often get good mouse tracks. In previous years I have photographed incredibly clear mouse tracks. If you are interested I can try and dig them out.

    Thanks again for the comments and your encouragement.

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  3. marcusgarvie Avatar
    marcusgarvie

    Comments from Alastair Strachan. Thank you so much! Sorry, but I am unable to input the images.

    Hi Marcus – thanks for sending this – its great to try to figure out these things. I have this to add to what Byron wrote:

    • In Fig 3, I see these as groups of four:
    • The two bottom tracks in each group also look larger – so perhaps fronts
    • Fig 4 seems like a side trot – I had some fun on the floor trying to emulate a side trot
    • Fig 5 – group length measurements and trail width would help to compare against Fox / Coyote – to see if there is a fit for either a lope or straddle trot
    • Fig 6: looks like the dir of travel if right to left so I think that would mean that the bottom three tracks would be rears and the tops fronts
    •  

    Fig 7:

    • The yellow is how I see the groups – same a Byron 
    • Fig 8:
    • I see groups of four
    • The distance in between the groups is no longer than the distance between the individual footprints. I remember on one eval this pattern being described as a walking gait – need to ask Alexis about this one…..
    • Fig 9:
    • Your circles make sense to me 
    • Fig 10 – transverse lope seems right to me as well
    • Fig 11 – 14:  Elbroch shows 4 – 25” for a bound stride length – very startled Squirrel!

    Fig 15:

    • I make the trail width 1- 1 ¼” and two stride measurements are 4 ½” & 5 ¾”

    Possible Species:

    Peromyscus (Deermouse and White Footed Mouse in our area I think) Elbroch pg 566, 2nd ed

    • The trail width in Elbroch for North American Deermouse and Allies (Peromyscus spp) is 1 3/8” – 1 ¾” for a bound so this is very close to the lower end of that range . Deermice tend to use the same pathway back and forth on open ground to a width of about 6”– in this pic I see two trails – possibly another below the tape.

    Shrews –  Elbroch pg 403

    • Shrews trot when travelling but will occasionally bound  – tail drag is common for Shrews and they often have a variety of gaits in a trail. The stride and trail width in this pic also fit for a Long Tailed Shrew 

    Voles – Elbroch pg 551

    • Almost always travel in a direct register trot but will bound when exposed or threatened. The trail width for a bound or a 2 x 2 is 1 – 1 ½” so fits for these tracks. The stride measurements also fit for either a bound or 2 x 2.

    Most Likely – Deermouse / White Footed Mouse based on trail width, stride and reuse of this pathway two or possibly three times.

    Fig 17 – I make the stride about 13” which is the high end of a direct register walk

    Good to spend time going over these details – it teaches me a lot.

    Alastair

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  4. marcusgarvie Avatar
    marcusgarvie

    Thanks Alastair. I’ve made a few comments below:

    Fig 3: I see this now.

    Fig 5: agreed!

    Fig 6: that is hard for me to see.

    Fig 7 and 8: what’s curious to me is that each group of 4 tracks is almost in a straight line. This reminds me of skunk (see the figure on page 273 of the book by Lowery)

    Fig 15: great summary!

    Fig 17: your comment makes sense because this is a huge cat!

    Thanks again.
    Marcus.

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  5. ALASTAIR Strachan Avatar
    ALASTAIR Strachan

    I don’t have the book by Lowrey – perhaps bring to our next meeting. It seems to me that the distance between the groups is larger in fig 7 than in fig 8 and the fig 7 groups of four are slightly curved.

    We need to check with Alexis on the difference between these two – (if any).

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    1. marcusgarvie Avatar
      marcusgarvie

      Thanks Alastair!

      Marcus.

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