Photography and Animal Tracking Fun

Wanna get some fun pics in the backcountry?
Animal tracks are always just plain fun!
Just place a pocket knife, coin etc  next to your track to show size and depth!

Gray Fox track from Lake Italy region in the Sierra Nevada

Wallowing around in the mud will generally net you some great pics... I never pass a mudhole by without taking a peek!
The pic above is clearly from a "dog" or canine species and not a "cat" or feline species.   Here are some tips on telling if your track is from a dog like a coyote or fox as opposed to a cat like a cougar or bobcat:

1-Canines have symmetrical prints, felines do not. ie in the "dog" print above, the toes are side by side, in a "cat,"  the "leading" toe or 2nd toe from inside would have been slightly higher giving the print an asymmetrical look to it.

2-Canines usually have claws out,  felines often don't unless they are pouncing (click on the above pic to enlarge it and you can see the claws clearly)

3-Canines have 2 lobes (look at the very  bottom of the above print),  felines have 3

Wanna know how I decided this was a gray fox instead of a red fox?  Gray foxes have less furry feet than a red fox so their toes show more clearly.  A red fox's print would have been more fuzzy from their furry feet!

If you've got some great pics that we can all learn from like the one I took above,  let me know and I'll post it,  with credit to you of course...:)!