We (formerly Nashaway Trackers) are a group of loosely connected nature lovers who enjoy sharing our observations and discoveries about the fauna and flora of the northeastern US. Most of us are especially interested in mammal tracks and sign, but we also post about birds, insects, plants, etc.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Drag Track
In Heath Hen Meadow in Stow, MA, Lars found a meandering drag track this morning. One tuft of hair was on the trail. There were lots of fisher tracks in the area. This drag track was similar to what I posted in December 2010. The ruler is six inches long.
I thought raccoon, assuming the color/brightness of the photo was not altered. And yes, it looks like fisher was dragging prey. Though if it is raccoon, it's more likely scavenged road kill.
The photo is unaltered. Road kill is unlikely. I was pretty far into the woods. The track meandered for quite a distance, crisscrossing my path. Looking for a cache site? The smaller size of the drag mark suggest more like rabbit (or was it piece o'raccoon).
If you thought it was rabbit, Lars, then it was probably rabbit. Seeing it for real gives you a better sense of texture/fineness. I just thought there was too much of an orangey shade in there for rabbit, though cottontails do have some orangish fur at the nape of the neck.
Some of the studies analyzing fisher scats showed a lot of raccoon and deer, and because it is unlikely that a fisher can take down a healthy adult raccoon or deer (I don't believe there is any documentation of it happening), it is thought that they usually scavenge these larger animals. Sometimes animals hit by cars are not killed, but suffer injuries that eventually lead to death some time after wandering off, or weaken them and make them more susceptible to predation. I don't think there is any place in eastern MA too far from a road for this scenario.
But certainly rabbit is a favorite menu item for fishers, so if you thought it looked like rabbit, that's probably what it was...
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So are we to assume that a fisher was dragging a kill away? Cool photos.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a piece of raccoon...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking it looked rabbit-y.
DeleteI thought raccoon, assuming the color/brightness of the photo was not altered. And yes, it looks like fisher was dragging prey. Though if it is raccoon, it's more likely scavenged road kill.
ReplyDeleteThe photo is unaltered. Road kill is unlikely. I was pretty far into the woods. The track meandered for quite a distance, crisscrossing my path. Looking for a cache site? The smaller size of the drag mark suggest more like rabbit (or was it piece o'raccoon).
ReplyDeleteIf you thought it was rabbit, Lars, then it was probably rabbit. Seeing it for real gives you a better sense of texture/fineness. I just thought there was too much of an orangey shade in there for rabbit, though cottontails do have some orangish fur at the nape of the neck.
ReplyDeleteSome of the studies analyzing fisher scats showed a lot of raccoon and deer, and because it is unlikely that a fisher can take down a healthy adult raccoon or deer (I don't believe there is any documentation of it happening), it is thought that they usually scavenge these larger animals. Sometimes animals hit by cars are not killed, but suffer injuries that eventually lead to death some time after wandering off, or weaken them and make them more susceptible to predation. I don't think there is any place in eastern MA too far from a road for this scenario.
But certainly rabbit is a favorite menu item for fishers, so if you thought it looked like rabbit, that's probably what it was...