track help...Rick?

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

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Mar 22, 2006
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was in a city park today here in NY..its a 400 acre forest for horesback riders and cyclists.. I;ve seen raccons and possums and such there regularly, and have in the past seen what I though was fox tracks...Today I was off the beaten path a bit (as much as I could be considering the circumstances) and I found this solitary track..it appears to be a fox track to me..as it has pronounced claw marks and the typical canine eggshape.. but I am a super ridiculous novice tracker...There where no othere tracks of this kind although there where cat, raccoon and squirrel tracks in the area.

the object next to the track is a dime for scale
PICT0005-20.jpg


PICT0006-22.jpg


Could also be a small domestic Dog.. But it is in an area that folks don;t normally go.. there where also no people tracks..and no other tracks in the pattern.
 
I can't tell the difference between a fox and a dog yet. But definitely canine.

EDIT: I recall fox tracks look a lot like cat tracks. The trail would help in that case.
 
Hard to tell without a clear outline of the heel pad print. I'm going to say small domestic dog.

Lets see if my Rick-Foo is working - Yorkie. 7 lbs. Male. Hasn't been neutered.

:p
 
Hey RescueRiley.

It's easier to tell if you had a picture with a few tracks--the gait tells a lot, as opposed to one track.

However, the track is perfectly egg-shaped, with the claw marks curving with the outline of the pad.

That's very fox-like.

Of course, it's possible to get that with a pomeranian or other fox-like dog, but I'd give you the benefit of the doubt on this one given that's a dime. That'd be a really small dog to be running out in the middle of nowhere!

Another indicator is the two little claw marks pretty much against each other at the tip of the track, right where the second and third toes meet. Very fox like; not very dog like.

EDIT: I'll go one better and say that's a red fox. The gap between the pads is big, the heel pad small, and there's a slight overlap between front and hind track. Gray foxes don't meet this pattern.
 
Watchfull Awesome Man.....Thanks..I was looking for other tracks toestablish a pattern.but there where none to be found.
 
Watchful said:
Hey RescueRiley.

It's easier to tell if you had a picture with a few tracks--the gait tells a lot, as opposed to one track.

However, the track is perfectly egg-shaped, with the claw marks curving with the outline of the pad.

That's very fox-like.

Of course, it's possible to get that with a pomeranian or other fox-like dog, but I'd give you the benefit of the doubt on this one given that's a dime. That'd be a really small dog to be running out in the middle of nowhere!

Another indicator is the two little claw marks pretty much against each other at the tip of the track, right where the second and third toes meet. Very fox like; not very dog like.

EDIT: I'll go one better and say that's a red fox. The gap between the pads is big, the heel pad small, and there's a slight overlap between front and hind track. Gray foxes don't meet this pattern.
Click to expand...


Add to that the fact that domestic dogs rarely if ever, direct register and we have a winner! (front and rear track directly on top of one another... or close to it atleast... damn blurry)

I agree with Watchful... his "track-fu" is stronger than mine.


Rick
 
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