Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe PDF
Preview Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe
Lars-Henrik Olsen Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe translated by Mark Epstein Copyright 2013 © by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW press.princeton.edu Originally published in Danish as Dyr & spor in 2012 © by Gyldendal A/S, Denmark All Rights Reserved ISBN (pbk.) 978-0-691-15753-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2013931523 British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available This book has been composed in Goudy Sans and Goudy Oldstyle Printed on acid-free paper ∞ Printed in Livonia, Latvia 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Preface Mammal tracks Antlers Bird tracks Scat Carnivores Carnivore scat Scat of smaller mammals Scat of larger rodents Scat of larger herbivores Bird droppings Feeding signs on trees Fray marks on trees Holes in trees, ant heaps, etc. Gnawed branches Feeding signs on mushrooms Feeding signs on turnips Feeding signs on spruce cones Feeding signs on pine cones Feeding signs on hazelnuts Feeding signs on walnuts Feeding signs on rose hips Feeding signs on cherry stones Feeding signs on apples Nests and dens Pellets Owl pellets Raptor pellets Gull, cormorant, heron, and stork pellets Wader, crow, and jay pellets Skulls in pellets Other skulls and bones Round nests Feathers Raptor feeding signs Trails Brown Bear Wolverine Wolf and domestic dog Lynx Iberian Lynx Wildcat Arctic Fox Red Fox Raccoon Dog Raccoon Eurasian Badger European Beaver North American Beaver Coypu Muskrat Northern Water Vole Southern Water Vole Water Shrew Otter American Mink European Mink Western Polecat Pine Marten Beech Marten Stoat Weasel Brown Hare Mountain Hare Rabbit Red Squirrel Grey Squirrel Flying Squirrel Alpine Marmot European Souslik Black Rat Brown Rat House Mouse Yellow-necked Mouse Wood Mouse Striped Field Mouse Harvest Mouse Northern Birch Mouse Common Dormouse Garden Dormouse Edible Dormouse Bank Vole Field Vole Common Vole Norway Lemming Wood Lemming Grey-sided Vole Root Vole Common Mole Western Hedgehog Algerian Hedgehog Common Shrew Bats Horses Cattle Wild Boar Elk Red Deer White-tailed Deer Fallow Deer Sika Deer Reeve’s Muntjac Roe Deer Reindeer Musk Ox Mouflon Chamois Domestic sheep Goats Seals Sea turtles Photo credits Index of species A crevice used by a woodpecker to lodge a pine cone. NO. Preface Most birds are active during the day, and we can easily observe their activities. Mammals are shyer; many of them can be seen only at dusk or at night. They do not wish to reveal their whereabouts except to fellow members of their species, but all animals leave tracks—a footprint, a lost feather, tooth marks on a tree, a hole in the ground, a special odor, and so forth. If you learn what to look for in animal tracks and can identify them, the time you spend in the field can become even more rewarding. This book is a window into the rich variety of bird and mammal tracks and signs. Seen in the wild, they reveal a lot about animal behaviour. When trying to identify tracks, it is obviously helpful—as well as enriching—to know something about the animals themselves. For this reason, the second half of the book contains descriptions of most species of European mammals, their habits and habitats, as well as some facts about size, appearance, and distribution. Animal tracks sometimes tell a story. This picture shows the tracks of several animals. A Willow Ptarmigan was surprised by a Golden Eagle, and the eagle was lucky; it managed to push the ptarmigan into the snow, drive its claws into its victim, and fly away with its prey. A Mountain Hare and a Norway Lemming went by, either shortly beforehand or shortly thereafter—perhaps they were witnesses to the scene. AK. Mammal tracks Most wild animals are very shy. Many mammals are nocturnal and rarely seen, but you can find their footprints. To determine the identity of the animal that left these tracks, size and shape are of course important, but also understanding the series of tracks in its entirety, the type of movement, length of stride, and the ‘splay’ of the feet, as well as the distance between the prints of the hind and forelegs. All of these will provide additional information about the kind of animal we are dealing with. If you know something about the animal’s distribution and behaviour, the place and the surroundings where the tracks were found will also provide a lot of information. If you follow one set of tracks you will often also find other signs: food remains, signs of chewing or digging, carrion, nests and other structures, droppings, and so forth—there is a lot to see. An example of three characteristic tracks. Forefoot of a horse (one-toed hoof) Tracks reveal the type of movement of an animal: walk, trot, gallop, or jump. The form and sequence of the tracks can be of great help in the identification process. For most of the species in this book, the type of movement is described along with the relevant footprint. The print pattern is based on the entire impression of the bottom of the foot. For mammals, we distinguish three major groups of prints: hooves of one toe, hooves of two toes, and paws with claws or nails. Forefoot of a deer (two-toed hoof)
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