Friday, January 1, 2010

Gray fox?

Janet found these tracks late this afternoon at Vaughn Hills in Bolton.
It was getting dark, so I had time enough to follow this animal's trail
for only 50-100 ft. Step length of its alternating gait, which
sometimes registered directly and sometimes indirectly, varied from 8 -
12.5 inches. I didn't measure trail width, but you can see an example
in one of the photos. In another photo you can see all 4 feet as the
animal stands still.

Some tracks showed faint suggestion of claw marks. Many showed no claw
marks. None showed a nice big cat-like trapezoidal palm pad or feline
toe asymmetry. I'm thinking gray fox for this one. I don't have much
experience with that species, so if you do, please feel free to
comment. Lydia?

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