Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe

725 Pages·2013·52.27 MB·English

by  Lars-Henrik Olsen

Lars-Henrik Olsen
Tracks and Signs
of the Animals
and Birds of
Britain and
Europe
translated by Mark Epstein
Copyright 2013 © by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street,
Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW
press.princeton.edu
Originally published in Danish as Dyr & spor in 2012 © by Gyldendal A/S, Denmark All Rights Reserved
ISBN (pbk.) 978-0-691-15753-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013931523
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in Goudy Sans and Goudy Oldstyle Printed on
acid-free paper ∞
Printed in Livonia, Latvia 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents Preface
Mammal tracks
Antlers
Bird tracks
Scat
Carnivores
Carnivore scat
Scat of smaller mammals
Scat of larger rodents
Scat of larger herbivores
Bird droppings
Feeding signs on trees
Fray marks on trees
Holes in trees, ant heaps, etc.
Gnawed branches
Feeding signs on mushrooms
Feeding signs on turnips
Feeding signs on spruce cones
Feeding signs on pine cones
Feeding signs on hazelnuts
Feeding signs on walnuts
Feeding signs on rose hips
Feeding signs on cherry stones
Feeding signs on apples
Nests and dens
Pellets
Owl pellets
Raptor pellets
Gull, cormorant, heron, and stork pellets
Wader, crow, and jay pellets
Skulls in pellets
Other skulls and bones
Round nests
Feathers
Raptor feeding signs
Trails
Brown Bear
Wolverine
Wolf and domestic dog
Lynx
Iberian Lynx
Wildcat
Arctic Fox
Red Fox
Raccoon Dog
Raccoon
Eurasian Badger
European Beaver
North American Beaver
Coypu
Muskrat
Northern Water Vole
Southern Water Vole
Water Shrew
Otter
American Mink
European Mink
Western Polecat
Pine Marten
Beech Marten
Stoat
Weasel
Brown Hare
Mountain Hare
Rabbit
Red Squirrel
Grey Squirrel
Flying Squirrel
Alpine Marmot
European Souslik
Black Rat
Brown Rat
House Mouse
Yellow-necked Mouse
Wood Mouse
Striped Field Mouse
Harvest Mouse
Northern Birch Mouse
Common Dormouse
Garden Dormouse
Edible Dormouse
Bank Vole
Field Vole
Common Vole
Norway Lemming
Wood Lemming
Grey-sided Vole
Root Vole
Common Mole
Western Hedgehog
Algerian Hedgehog
Common Shrew
Bats
Horses
Cattle
Wild Boar
Elk
Red Deer
White-tailed Deer
Fallow Deer
Sika Deer
Reeve’s Muntjac
Roe Deer
Reindeer
Musk Ox
Mouflon
Chamois
Domestic sheep
Goats
Seals
Sea turtles
Photo credits
Index of species
A crevice used by a woodpecker to lodge a pine cone. NO.
Preface
Most birds are active during the day, and we can easily observe their activities.
Mammals are shyer; many of them can be seen only at dusk or at night. They do
not wish to reveal their whereabouts except to fellow members of their species,
but all animals leave tracks—a footprint, a lost feather, tooth marks on a tree, a
hole in the ground, a special odor, and so forth. If you learn what to look for in
animal tracks and can identify them, the time you spend in the field can become
even more rewarding.
This book is a window into the rich variety of bird and mammal tracks and
signs. Seen in the wild, they reveal a lot about animal behaviour. When trying
to identify tracks, it is obviously helpful—as well as enriching—to know
something about the animals themselves. For this reason, the second half of the
book contains descriptions of most species of European mammals, their habits
and habitats, as well as some facts about size, appearance, and distribution.
Animal tracks sometimes tell a story. This picture shows the tracks of several animals. A Willow Ptarmigan was
surprised by a Golden Eagle, and the eagle was lucky; it managed to push the ptarmigan into the snow, drive its
claws into its victim, and fly away with its prey. A Mountain Hare and a Norway Lemming went by, either
shortly beforehand or shortly thereafter—perhaps they were witnesses to the scene. AK.
Mammal tracks
Most wild animals are very shy. Many mammals are nocturnal and rarely seen,
but you can find their footprints. To determine the identity of the animal that
left these tracks, size and shape are of course important, but also understanding
the series of tracks in its entirety, the type of movement, length of stride, and
the ‘splay’ of the feet, as well as the distance between the prints of the hind and
forelegs. All of these will provide additional information about the kind of
animal we are dealing with.
If you know something about the animal’s distribution and behaviour, the
place and the surroundings where the tracks were found will also provide a lot of
information. If you follow one set of tracks you will often also find other signs:
food remains, signs of chewing or digging, carrion, nests and other structures,
droppings, and so forth—there is a lot to see.
An example of three characteristic tracks.
Forefoot of a horse (one-toed hoof)
Tracks reveal the type of movement of an animal: walk, trot, gallop, or jump. The form and sequence of the tracks
can be of great help in the identification process. For most of the species in this book, the type of movement is
described along with the relevant footprint.
The print pattern is based on the entire impression of the bottom of the foot. For mammals, we distinguish three
major groups of prints: hooves of one toe, hooves of two toes, and paws with claws or nails.
Forefoot of a deer (two-toed hoof)