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Monday Morning Critter Mystery
Recently, while walking a path in Mass Audubon's Ashumet Wildlife Sanctuary on Cape Cod, friends and I came across a weird sight: what appears to be the slide marks (above) of a critter being dragged across the path.
I took a photo of the tracks, but they are hard to see. (Sorry.)
What do you think was going on?
5 comments
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Oooh!!! Thanks, Diane! That’s exciting. ?
Jim – no worries! I was wrong anyway. ? -
Thanks. Sorry for the pixelated pic. Had trouble making the image small…
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Thank you!
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In the first photo, a beaverslide: the path made by the animal dragging felled tree fragments into the water. In the second, tracks left by the beaver’s front (smaller) and hind (larger) paws. I can imagine webbing in the hind paw print.
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The first photo doesn’t show up very well for me – all pixelated when I try to enlarge it – and so to me it just looks like a path frequently used by animals. I’m guessing there’s more to it though, based on your description.
The second photo, of the tracks, looks very much like raccoon tracks to me, just a little muddled due to the high wetness of the mud. I see the shorter toes on one foot, and the longer, more spread out toes on the other.
While I feel pretty confident, I’m leaving room for error due to the supreme muddiness. 😉
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5 comments
julie
Oooh!!! Thanks, Diane! That’s exciting. ?
Jim – no worries! I was wrong anyway. ?
Jim Wright
Thanks. Sorry for the pixelated pic. Had trouble making the image small…
Jim Wright
Thank you!
Diane
In the first photo, a beaverslide: the path made by the animal dragging felled tree fragments into the water. In the second, tracks left by the beaver’s front (smaller) and hind (larger) paws. I can imagine webbing in the hind paw print.
julie
The first photo doesn’t show up very well for me – all pixelated when I try to enlarge it – and so to me it just looks like a path frequently used by animals. I’m guessing there’s more to it though, based on your description.
The second photo, of the tracks, looks very much like raccoon tracks to me, just a little muddled due to the high wetness of the mud. I see the shorter toes on one foot, and the longer, more spread out toes on the other.
While I feel pretty confident, I’m leaving room for error due to the supreme muddiness. 😉