Good guide to field signs

[cf]

I was recently asked to recommend someone a book listing field signs with examples like paw and hoof prints, scat, bark rub etc. but I couldn't having always researched what I'm after on the Net (and often found myself wondering what something else was!), any recommendations?

Steve

[aeshna5]

There have been quite a few good ones including a Collins fieldguide, also Oxford Natural Hisory book Animal Tracks + Signs by Bang/Dahlstrom + a real cheapie but a good read with lots of diagrams is Mammal Detective by Rob Strachan, brilliant value at under a tenner!

[vole-woman]

Great! I've been looking for a decent guide, and I've heard Rob Strachan speak at a lecture and liked him so I'll give that a go. I bought Ray Mears' tracking guide last year and it was disappointing: loads of UK mammals missed out at the inclusion of, for instance, elk.

[shirl]

The Field Studies Council do laminated guides so you can take them with you , the mammal one (British Mammal Tracks and Signs) has got paws, hooves, feeding signs, burrows, droppings and nests. Rob Strachan's book is on their recommended reading. list

Shirl

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by shirl

The Field Studies Council do laminated guides so you can take them with you , the mammal one (British Mammal Tracks and Signs) has got paws, hooves, feeding signs, burrows, droppings and nests. Rob Strachan's book is on their recommended reading. list

Shirl

I agree Shirl, the FSC guides are excellent. I think they cover nearly everything.

BWD

[cf]

Thanks so much for all these suggestions!

[Dan Salter]

I too am dissapointed with the oxford/bang book...( or the ray mears one as some call it as its been repackaged with a forward by ray) Its a gorgeous lovely looking little book but inside its a let down and for me too its far too world wide...i for some reason assumed it was uk based..british tracks and signs etc...i doubt ill need to know a clouded leopard paw print in a hurry?

Thankfully i found all this out from the college library copy so havent bought it...but im holding out for a British Tracks and signs book?.

There is another book though i forget its name but its Bird tracks and signs and is great (but purely birds obviously).
Dan

p.s. Steve, where in Kent are you?..im in Kent and currently studying "Sign" in my degree...i can put you in touch with my field biology lecturer who is an absolute legend at this stuff and is ex field studies council? pm me if you want?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

I too am dissapointed with the oxford/bang book...( or the ray mears one as some call it as its been repackaged with a forward by ray) Its a gorgeous lovely looking little book but inside its a let down and for me too its far too world wide...i for some reason assumed it was uk based..british tracks and signs etc...i doubt ill need to know a clouded leopard paw print in a hurry?

Thankfully i found all this out from the college library copy so havent bought it...but im holding out for a British Tracks and signs book?.

There is another book though i forget its name but its Bird tracks and signs and is great (but purely birds obviously).
Dan

p.s. Steve, where in Kent are you?..im in Kent and currently studying "Sign" in my degree...i can put you in touch with my field biology lecturer who is an absolute legend at this stuff and is ex field studies council? pm me if you want?

I'm not sure what you were on when you looked at the Bang book ,Dan, but I can assure you there's no Clouded Leopard mentions in it! It's a guide to Europe as so many are, so there is excellent coverage of UK animals but if you cross the channel it'll be useful to ID Wolf, Lynx, Brown Bear, etctoo!

For many this is an advantage as many people do enjoy the odd continental trip!

[Dan Salter]

The clouded leopard was a joke but i see your point.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

The clouded leopard was a joke but i see your point.

I thought it may have been, but people who hadn't seen the book may not have realised, as you did give the impression that it was a general world guide rather than a Eurocentric one.

Appreciate there are some people who only do their natural history in UK, but hey those Beaver signs may come in useful soon!!