Wildlife Tracks

[Cedars]

Back to the Meadows yesterday. These Sandhill crane tracks are not in tip top condition due to their location and the wind (which just wont stop blowing). But they are clear enough to show how big these birds are (I think).

 

The ruler is 12 inches long and fits well between the footsteps. So each stride is 18 inches long or so. I snipped and pasted a piece of the ruler to place along side the one print. Each footprint is just under 6 inches long.

 

It had rained monday evening at the meadows and I took the pic sometime before noon on Wednesday. It appears the sand was well dried by the time the bird passed by so I am thinking it was later Tuesday or very early Wednesday morn when this bird took a stroll.

[Cedars]

I've been looking for these the last few trips to the meadows. Because of sitting on eggs, these guys just were not roaming around much. Yesterday was different.

[DougF]

Great thread idea Cedars! Anyone ever make any plaster casts of tracks? Here's a nice online animal-track reference >> Beartracker's Animal Tracks Den

 

I found an animal-track pic from the forest jaunt thread and I haven't ID'd it yet; what do we think? :)

I think it's BIG FOOT or a bear. :lol:

[Cedars]

Camped along the St. Croix river the last few days. I noticed the bug tracks the first morn so yesterday nite before shutting down for the night I brushed the ground with a leafed branch to see how much was going on while I slept. The ground was covered with different tracks this morn. This one I think is a giant water bug track.

 

Species Lethocerus americanus - Giant Water Bug - BugGuide.Net

 

Anyone have other ideas?

[Cedars]

The first pic is of one critter I would guess as some type of beetle. The abdomen is clearly dragging on the ground as this guy moved along. I never saw any of these night creatures and these are tracks left in the brushed over area. The tiger beetle scooting around in the daylight did not leave noticeable tracks, nor did the Harvestman.

 

The second pic shows many different tracks. Along the top is what I believe to be a very large spider roaming the ground. Probably one of the wolf spiders, but that is a guess.

 

Below the spider tracks is where a frog hopped along. His tracks came out of the river and hopped up the trail and across the ground here headed towards the eagle nest area (which overlooks a slough). The frog print is a bit exaggerated due to the sand. The ones I saw in the daytime were small frogs, about 2 inches long, head to butt, so I would guess approx 1.5 inches across including the foot span.

 

Running thru the frog tracks on the right side, then falling just below the frog imprint is another bug dragging its abdomen.

 

From the bottom right angling up towards the top left is another interesting bug track. I am guessing this is another water beetle type, but not the previously posted water bug. It seems his shell is dragging and his step lurches towards the opposite side of movement.

 

There are other bug tracks as well, but I am pointing out the most obvious. I wish I could post the whole picture, as it is, this is around 1/4 of the total.

 

The third pic seems to be the same type of (what I am guessing) is a water bug again, but a more level path.

 

If anyone has other ideas I am interested. As I said I did not see any of these guys and other than the frog tracks, its a guess on my part.

[DougF]

I believe the first picture is a Millipede, I have several around my house.

 

Millipede - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

Cedars

The second pic shows many different tracks. Along the top is what I believe to be a very large spider roaming the ground. Probably one of the wolf spiders' date=' but that is a guess.[/quote']

I can't tell either sound good to me.

 

 

the third pitcher I believe is Rhinoceros Beetle, i have several of the "Chalcosoma atlas" around my house and the tracks look the same.

Rhinoceros beetles - Dynastidae

.

.

.

[Cedars]

I believe the first picture is a Millipede, I have several around my house.

 

Millipede - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

A plausible suggestion. Wouldnt the leg imprints be closer to the body though, almost blurring the body marks? The area that these tracks were was pretty flat and open (open being devoid of brush), the ground has been picked clear of wood via many years of this being a campsite (I brought my own wood with me), plus it is flooded each spring, and can be flooded during the summer with heavy rains (not this summer though).

 

the third pitcher I believe is Rhinoceros Beetle, i have several of the "Chalcosoma atlas" around my house and the tracks look the same.

Rhinoceros beetles - Dynastidae

.

.

.

 

Good suggestion. I do not know much about the various beetles found in this area, and I dont know which rhino beetles are around here. One large beetle I have found (in Minneapolis) is this one:

Species Lucanus capreolus - Reddish-brown Stag Beetle - BugGuide.Net

 

Thanks for the input, I think your pointing me in the right direction!

[DougF]

Cedars

A plausible suggestion. Wouldn't the leg imprints be closer to the body though' date=' almost blurring the body marks? The area that these tracks were was pretty flat and open (open being devoid of brush), the ground has been picked clear of wood via many years of this being a campsite (I brought my own wood with me), plus it is flooded each spring, and can be flooded during the summer with heavy rains (not this summer though).[/quote']

I find most of my Millipedes in my compost pile or in loose leaves along my fence, I couldn't find Any good sites on insect tracks but I did find one picture that might clarify why I thought it was a Millipede.

[Cedars]

I find most of my Millipedes in my compost pile or in loose leaves along my fence, I couldn't find Any good sites on insect tracks but I did find one picture that might clarify why I thought it was a Millipede.

 

I thought the millipede was a good guess. I see most of mine in the basement. I have Lots of Centipedes outside in the terrain you describe for the millipede, especially where there are logs or sticks mixed in with the leaves.

 

There was a critter that I went to get the camera to photograph, but it had flown away before I got back. It was a wild looking creature. Big head with pinchers, long skinny body and these little teeny wing shells. I thought it was some kind of nymph until it flew. It seemed to have been hiding between some of the rocks along the fire and was disturbed by the heat. I couldnt believe the size of the wings tucked under that teeny shell. It did have a very awkward flight, but then it might have been wounded from the fire. It also may have been something that lives both on land and in water.

[Cedars]

It was a rough day at the Meadows. Cold. Dark skies, then rain. I came across another first for me at the meadows. I found a spot where the wolves were with the pups in the sand. It rained all day tuesday and a good part of the night so the tracks are from wednesday or possibly early this morn. I took the pics around noon today.

 

The first picture is a long view (snipped for the post so about 1/2 of the total is shown) showing an area where the parents approached and the pup(s) were greeting them, hopping along side, tearing up the ground. There are two adults, the one on the far right does not show much in this version of the pic. There were at least two pups via foot print sizes but as much as they hopped around I cant say there were more. At least two for sure.

 

The second pic is a pup print near an adult print. The adult print isnt as clear as the pups.

 

There were three spots of good sand exposure here, two with a good trail. The third spot seemed to be just a crossing the road point. The pics were taken on top of a hill about 10 feet off the road. The open sand areas ran with the road, length wise.

[DougF]

Good pitchers Cedars of the wolf with pup Tracks,

I get coon, cat, possum, rabbit and dog around my house hog and gators within a mile bear, bobcat, armadillo and panther within 50 miles (along with all kinds of other little beasties that run in the woods) most of the terrain here is pretty thick and the only good tracks I can find are along the shore or an occasional sandy spot (the sand is to dry now to hold a good track) I'm still looking though. :phones:

[Cedars]

Good pitchers Cedars of the wolf with pup Tracks,

I get coon, cat, possum, rabbit and dog around my house hog and gators within a mile bear, bobcat, armadillo and panther within 50 miles (along with all kinds of other little beasties that run in the woods) most of the terrain here is pretty thick and the only good tracks I can find are along the shore or an occasional sandy spot (the sand is to dry now to hold a good track) I'm still looking though. :cheer:

 

Opossum tracks in the snow look pretty cool. I am hoping to get some pics this winter but I think the opossum that was living on the property may have moved on. I dont have alot of spots on my property that pick up tracks well either and I lost one of them this spring when I brought in some rock to fill in a hole at the end of the driveway.

[Cedars]

Crex Meadows yesterday, I came across a spot where the pups had been. This was very near where I spotted the full grown wolf earlier this year and at the opposite end of the Meadows where I took the pup greeting adults tracks.

 

There was a spot where something had dug up gophers. I couldnt tell if the wolves had done this because the rains earlier this week had washed out the tracks from when the digging occurred, but a pup had explored the digging spots since the rain. There are both fox and badgers in the meadows along with the wolves.

 

The pups were traveling along this sandy access road. I came across a spot where two pups (one in each tire rut) broke into a full run, headed south and away from the main road. A rough measurement of a full stride came to 5+ feet of ground covered. I found no adult tracks along this road and would guess the run was pups headed back to parents further south. It rained quite a bit on tuesday, so the tracks are from sometime between when the rain ended late Tuesday and 9am thursday Oct 4, when I found them.

[freeztar]

Your account is inspiring Cedars!

 

I recently bought this book http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Browns-Science-Art-Tracking/dp/0425157725/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_1_img/103-8650503-0025457?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-2&pf_rd_r=1XTEREHH3PJ5K3871V3H&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=304485601&pf_rd_i=0425101339 and hope to use it soon.

 

I have to drive quite a ways to get to good tracking land. Otherwise, it's all dogs and cats around here.

[Cedars]

Your account is inspiring Cedars!

 

I recently bought this book and hope to use it soon.

 

I have to drive quite a ways to get to good tracking land. Otherwise, it's all dogs and cats around here.

 

Thanks Freeztar! I dont think there is a higher compliment than to say topics and their posts inspired someone to go out and buy a book to learn more on a subject.

 

The meadows is between 50-60 miles from me and an easy drive. Lots of times I take the backroads home and weave my way along the st. croix river (wisconsin side).

 

I read some of the reviews on that book and will verify theres a whole lot more going on out there than a simple (snipped for size) picture can display. I can see alot of stuff that wont show up in a pic. Plus when you get it home and transfered, you find yourself wondering... now why did I take that pic of the sand... Or worse yet, you wish you would have taken more angles or wider shots.

 

I look forward to your first pic posts in this topic!

[DougF]

Last weekend I told my sister that we were looking for wildlife tracks and she sent me some picture's from Kenai Alaska.

 

 

Although these tracks still have something in them.

[Cedars]

Last weekend I told my sister that we were looking for wildlife tracks and she sent me some picture's from Kenai Alaska.

 

 

Although these tracks still have something in them.

 

Did she take those?? Cute pics!

It would be cool if she can send some pics of those big guys tracks!