Tracks in France

[mark]

Now that I've worked out how to upload photos (thanks Resnikov), I thought I'd share some tracks that we found when on holiday in France.

For the canine prints, to me they do not look like domestic dog - the middle toes are slightly splayed, whereas on a domestic dog they are generally either straight or slightly point in and they were a lot bigger than any domestic dog prints I've seen before. Interestingly, there was another set of very similar prints running parallel, but slightly smaller.

The feline prints were larger than a normal domestic cat; maybe in France they have very large domestic cats.

The track that these prints are on were about 2km from the nearest habitation, however, the track was in use by mountain bikers.


Front paw, about 9.5cm long and 8.5cm wide


Four paws


Feline prints, about 4cm long and 3.5cm wide


Both sets of prints


I know what I want the prints to be, but am open minded.

cheers

Mark

[shaggystu]

something like a german shepard and a good sized farm cat? i personally don't think that there's anything particularly unusual about these tracks. i'd say that the toes are splayed out mainly because the animal was walking on such a soft surface.

stuart

[blacktimberwolf]

Where abouts in France were you ?...cause then we could rule out wolf & have a better idea on what the feline tracks might be.

[mark]

We were in the northern part of Provence. I know of wolf sightings not too far from there.

[blacktimberwolf]

Who saw them ?

[JonathanD]

Domestic dog and cat there.

[blacktimberwolf]

Don't listen to Jonathan, the spoilsport just wants an early night.

[Bushwhacker]

I was thinking dawg and an old fox track.

[JonathanD]

Don't listen to Jonathan, the spoilsport just wants an early night.

Fat chance of that.

[Bushwhacker]

Feline prints, about 4cm long and 3.5cm wide

Doesn't the pad look too far back from the toes to be cat?

[JonathanD]

Doesn't the pad look too far back from the toes to be cat?

Yes, you are right..... fox.

[blacktimberwolf]

Have to disagree fellas, those ain't fox prints, I've magnified the pic (using the ctrl & mouse wheel trick) & they appear too compact for fox & there ain't no claw marks............they scream feline to me.

[JonathanD]

The more I look at them, the more the one on the far left looks like fox, while the following two look feline/fox.

[blacktimberwolf]

Errmm, well yeah, I have to concede that after a long hard look, the left track does look more canine, even with the absence of claw marks, As Bushwhacker pointed out, the heel pad is probably too far back from the toes for it to be feline.....

[blacktimberwolf]

Looks like this thread has come to a halt,..( he says wiping the tear from his eye)