Mammal track id

[bob hastie]

Hi there
Can anyone id these tracks. Found this morning in light woodland/scrub about 500m from the nearest pond and maybe 800m from a river.
To give an idea of size, the key fob in the first shot is about 1 1/2" on the longest side.






Many thanks
Bob

[Wild-Woman]

Mmm. Think fox.

[C C]

How large where they? they look similar to Rat.

[mh68]

I`d confidently say they were Grey or Red Squirrel depending on which species is prevalant in the area the pic was taken. The elongated "hand" shape just off centre in the second pic gives it away.....

Mark H

[Uncle_Filthster]

Deffo squirrel, most likely the tree rat kind (grey) seeing as you're in zummerzett and the fact that greys spend a lot more time on the ground. I've shown which is the fore and hind feet on your second pic below. Your first pic shows 2 fore prints with the left one overlaid with a hind.

[Vixen]

first thoughts are squirrel

but my book suggest's Brown rat

[mh68]

The forefoot prints could easily be confused with Rat tracks, but as I mentioned in my previous post the hind print off centre in the second pic with the long non-splayed "toes" is a classic squirrel characteristic.Also, for such a lightweight animal(going off the actual print dimensions) to make such well defined prints in the type of terrain the pic shows, the animal would have to have landed from a considerable height...another pointer towards squirrel.Sometimes it`s not just the tracks themselves but their relation to the terrain (eg depth etc)that gives us clues as to what could have made them.

Mark H

[bob hastie]

Thanks for the answers guys.
Grey Squirrel it is then.
Bob

[Owl-Light]

Found this on the Beeb. The pdf download is very clear and useful.