Mystery Tracks

[ExposingTheWild]

Hello. I was just wondering if you could help me ID these tracks.

They were found in a large field surrounded by small areas of woodland and close to water.

Thanks a lot!

[Tracey.A]

I think these are deer prints, Roe deer?

Tracey

[artdemole]

I would think fox due to deep depresion of round rear mark.

[The Woodman]

Running Roe Deer.

[ExposingTheWild]

Are you sure guys? It seems a little small for me!

Just for scale the lens cap shown has a diameter of 62mm so I would guess the entire print is about 7cm long and 5cm across.

Exposing The Wild

[The Woodman]

Have a look at this print which doesn't appear to show the stoppers

http://badgerwatcher.files.wordpress...deer-track.jpg

BWM has a nice discourse on deer tracking on the same site.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...26tbs%3Disch:1

[Gerel]

I would have guessed muntjac, from the way the toes diverge at the tips (I'm assuming that the Woodman is saying that that is due to them splaying as the deer runs).

IIRC

Muntjac approx 30mm long
Roe 40 - 50mm

(excluding dew-claws in both cases)

[ExposingTheWild]

Sorry, I was a little unclear! I meant that roe and muntjac seem a little too small to have made these tracks.

I still think muntjac are but considering how the "toes" or roe deer splay out whilst running, I think they are definitely capable of producing tracks this size, especially considering Roe are abundant in the area.

Thanks a lot guys!

oh, and just in case any of you were wondering the non-circled prints in the photograph are part of a badger track but these specific prints are a little poorly defined.

[Dogghound]

Roe Deer for me.

[Tracey.A]

This time I had a look at my mammal tracks and signs guide to be sure and now I am convinced that they are Roe deer tracks. The two little indentations are the dew claws and the size looks spot on for me.

Tracey