Wintertime often means snow. The white winter landscape is beautiful, but it is also revealing. Did you leave shoe prints as you stepped outside? Now there’s evidence that humans were outside enjoying the snow! Who else is out and active in the cold? Let’s uncover the answer by studying animal tracks.
The best time to find tracks, or footprints, is right after a snowfall. Better yet if the snowfall happened overnight. While some animals are active during the night and early morning, most people are not, which means there is little foot traffic to disturb the prints animals left behind.
Words to know
Cache: To store away in hiding for future use.
Skitter: To move lightly and quickly or hurriedly.
Now where should you look for these footprints? Anywhere! This is a great chance to discover what animals might live in your neighborhood. Will you find similar prints in a park or preserve? Take a winter walk, but make sure to watch where you step!
Great! You found some animal tracks. Here are some questions to consider during your examination:
Are the tracks big or small?
What shape are they?
Which animal left these prints?
If you don’t know the answer to those questions, that’s OK! Follow the trail of tracks for more clues. Ask yourself:
Do the tracks lead somewhere?
Do they stop suddenly?
Do the tracks show more than one type of animal?
If the small tracks begin by a tree, that could mean a squirrel skittered down to look for some acorns it cached away. If there are heart-shaped prints crossing a trail, a deer might have walked by. What about that trail of triangle marks stopping at the river? A duck might be giving its wings a rest.
Another thing to consider is the winter habits of animals. Some, like deer or rabbits, are out and about all winter long. Others, like squirrels or opossums, are deep sleepers. This means they slumber for days at a time before venturing out of their homes in search of a snack.
Who are you most likely to spot? Look at the photo and make your guess.
Test your tracking skills
Below is scavenger hunt of some of the animals that might be out roaming on a cold winter day. Can you find some of them?
No snow? No problem
Even if there is no snow on the ground or no animals crossing your yard, you can still fine tune your tracking skills. Look for a space where many people have been walking in mud or on a dusty road.
Can you find a single set of footprints?
Where are they going? Where do they end?
Are those feet bigger or smaller than yours?
What type of shoes are they wearing?
Have you left any footprints as you ventured outside? What would a deer or another person learn about you from your footprints? All questions to consider when tracking those tracks!
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