Any guesses

**warthog1981** · 08-09-2008, 23:29

While away at Morches I came across these tracks down by the stream my guess would be a mink. What dose every one else think ?

cheers Russ

**IntrepidStu** · 08-09-2008, 23:45

Badger?????????

**Tripitaka** · 09-09-2008, 10:27

Too big for mink IMHO. But too small for badger, and a little too long too...badgers tend to be fatter prints than that.

The lower one is fox forepaw print. The upper one is a little less clear but my money would be on the foxs rear paw.

Hard to see on this pic but the telling difference would be the number of toes in this case - I think there are 4 there.

**chickenofthewoods** · 09-09-2008, 11:06

No idea, I had thought Otter, but after looking around I'm not so sure now!

Found some useful snippets to browse while searching though:

http://www.skullsite.co.uk/prints/index.htm

http://www.watervolescotland.org/#/f...nts/4527033405

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/...l_tracks.shtml

**Pignut** · 09-09-2008, 11:26

Too big for watervole I think, too small for fox?

bit of a stumper

**Bernie Garland** · 09-09-2008, 11:29

Stoat ?

Bernie

**Wayland** · 09-09-2008, 11:49

A lot depends on the toe count as mentioned.

I've tried to enhance the shot to decide whether the shadows marked are extra toes or not.

What do you think?

If that is a fifth toe I would say Otter, if not I'd say fox.

**Pignut** · 09-09-2008, 12:51

Just does not look "foxy" to me..... seems to narrow at the back of the print.. if you see what I mean

It does look like an extra toe in your photo

**Shewie** · 09-09-2008, 14:47

I`d say Otter but it`s hard to say from that picture for some reason. The coin`s there for scale and the prints are pretty damn clear but I just can`t put my finger on it.

Otter .. no ... Weasel .... no ... Pine Martin

Otter

Don`t know

Rich

**Wayland** · 09-09-2008, 14:50

I think there's another print in the bottom right corner but it doesn't help any.

**Tadpole** · 09-09-2008, 15:05

Originally Posted by warthog1981

While away at Morches I came across these tracks down by the stream my guess would be a mink. What dose every one else think ?

cheers Russ

I've no idea where this was taken, but the foot print looks like the hind foot of an otter

**Toddy** · 09-09-2008, 16:05

I saw the tracks, like little long hands. I too thought Mink or maybe stoat.
I think I need a new tracking guide, the Hamlyn one I have, just isn't clear enough for someone who doean't do very much of it.

cheers,
Toddy

**Rhoda** · 10-09-2008, 14:51

They are too small to be otter. Otters are surprisingly large animals, wrong shape for fox and badger.Also there are 5 toes and fox only show 4. I hate trying to id tracks from photos, it is just so difficult because you can't tell if the ground is really soft making the tracks bigger than the foot that made them etc...
It certainly looks to be stoat shaped to me, mink tend to look more star shaped with the toes splayed a bit wider than in your photo.
Not 100% sure but I'd say stoat. Are there pine martens where you were? I've never seen a pine marten track but that could be another possibility.... In fact sorry if I'm being a bit thick but where is Morches? It would be easier to narrow it down if I know what species are present there.
I'd need to look for feeding signs/scat etc to be certain, like I said photos are really hard to id!
Have I decided yet? Oh yeah I'm going for stoat, but I could be wrong...aaaargh!

**Tripitaka** · 10-09-2008, 15:02

I figured that you'd be along soon enough Rhoda! ;-)

We couldn't figure out if there were 5 toes or 4. The ground wasn't too soft as it was made up of coarse grit so whatever made them had some weight to it.

No other signs that we saw but then I reckon you would have spotted loads.

Location was SW Scotland on the A76 between Dumfries and Ayr.

Mark.

**Rhoda** · 10-09-2008, 15:12

Ok I'll stick with my first guess although they are quite large for stoat. Happy for someone to prove me wrong though....shame Angie is away, she likes stoats and weasles and would probably be able to tell straight away

**Grooveski** · 10-09-2008, 15:20

I saw a stoat in the wood about 60m away, if that helps any.

Did occur to me though that it's still the right time of the year for juvenile otters.

**AJB** · 10-09-2008, 15:31

The trouble is, I would have thought a stoat, in fact all of these animal would have noticed dropping a pound coin! Baffled!

**Rhoda** · 10-09-2008, 15:43

Originally Posted by Grooveski

I saw a stoat in the wood about 60m away, if that helps any.

Did occur to me though that it's still the right time of the year for juvenile otters.

Hooray! Stoat then... or baby otter, I don't think that the tracks look quite right for otter though - again hard to tell from a photo.

**Grooveski** · 10-09-2008, 20:00

Originally Posted by Rhoda

Hooray! Stoat then...

....or it may have been a weasel

. I've never seen either before.
What I saw wasn't a mink, ferret or pine martin, those I'd have known, and it didn't lay down those tracks(they're too big). It had a young vibe to it and was only about the length of a mink(and thinner). Light grey and ran a bit like a squirrel with slightly longer bounds.

For the track I'm going to go with a young otter. I've seen family groups twice, both around this time of year, and the cubs have been about two-thirds the size of the parents and their paws a good bit slimmer.

....but could just as easily be one of the parents of the wee grey whatever-it-was.

**Barn Owl** · 10-09-2008, 20:07

Having looked at my books,I'd say stoat.

There are Pine Marten in areas of D&G I've been told,(fyi).
Unfortunately I haven't seen any yet.

**JonathanD** · 10-09-2008, 21:29

If that's a 5p piece then my money would be on Hedgehog.

**woodstock** · 10-09-2008, 21:31

I think its a little to long for a stoat I may be wrong, it looks more like polecat/ferret or mink it would help to see a extended trail that way you get to see the way it moves which would make it a little easier to ID

**woodstock** · 10-09-2008, 21:43

Originally Posted by woodstock

I think its a little to long for a stoat I may be wrong, it looks more like polecat/ferret or mink it would help to see a extended trail that way you get to see the way it moves which would make it a little easier to ID

Had a look through my book its not mink wrong shape sorry

**Grooveski** · 10-09-2008, 22:31

If mink are bigger than stoats then what I saw must have been full grown, always pictured stoats as the larger. It had a more conical face(ferrety but more so) than mink......

......we could probably run a thread on what coin that is

. The shadow and focal depth make it look deeper than a 5p and it has a duller patina....
I was going on it being a pound coin.

**Toddy** · 10-09-2008, 22:39

Russ said at the time that he'd used a £1 coin, if that helps with the scale.

cheers,
Toddy

**R Doull** · 10-09-2008, 22:57

ok.. before I start.. I'm a total novice on this.. but just had a look through a couple of the books I have.. the size and shape of both prints look just like that of a Squirrel.. now I know it's not on the same track..

to get this I scaled the pound coin and used that to get the measuments of the print.. then looking through the books I have I was able to eliminate all the prints that were either too big or too small.. also those of the wrong shape.. all I was left with was Squirrel..

but like I say.. I'm a total Novice on this.. so I could be totally Wrong.. lol

**Wayland** · 11-09-2008, 08:39

I assumed it was a pound coin, which is what I based my otter guess at.

It is slightly small so I would concur with the young otter theory.

I think the long track is a fore foot and the shorter track is a hind foot.

Not sure about the possible other track.

The fact that stoats are in the area is a factor but it looks too big and narrow to be a stoat to me.

(Pine marten possibly? couldn't be a pole cat could it?)

**morch** · 11-09-2008, 09:25

Not that it'll help with the id, but i have only seen stoats here, although others have told me there are mink too, just i've not seen them.

It gives a great excuse to have another get together soon though doesn't it, to try to confirm what it is

Dave

**Rhoda** · 11-09-2008, 10:05

I'm pretty sure it's not mink from the shape, it could be young otter but usually the toes of an otter track are spaced a little further apart - more splayed. I haven't seen many juvenile otter tracks though so obviously with it being lighter than the adult the tracks could appear narrower....
That settles it, I'm just going to have to come all the way from Cornwall to have a look around!

Any spraint in the area?

**firecrest** · 11-09-2008, 16:52

here are some t`internet pictures....

Otter

ferret (it doesnt seem to have stoat or polecat)

grey squirrel

Are there any baby otters at this time of year?

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