close footprints. The heavy-bodied ones toe inwards decidedly. The long' 

 bodied ones, when in a hurry, bound along, leaving groups of four prints. The 

 mink trail can often be distinguished because it frequently shows a "three 

 point landing", the hind foot of one side falling almost exactly on the spot 

 just vacated by the fore foot of the same side. The mink usually goes right 

 into every hole or burrow it comes to, while the weasel usually goes on several 

 circles of inspection over and around any such spots. The skunk, although a 

 member of the mink and weasel family, seldom leaves similar tracks. Its re 

 liance on its powerful gas defense and its adoption of a diet made up mostly 

 of insects have relieved it of the necessity for speed or stealth. The creature 

 shuffles along with many short steps and drags its long, insect-digging front 

 claws in a characteristic trail. In its feeding grounds the many conical bur- 

 rows, an inch or more wide and deep, show where it has unearthed white grubs 

 or cutworms and are additional flourishes to its autograph. The tracks of the 

 porcupine look surprisingly large for an animal of its size, and the stiff hairs 

 around the foot often increase the size of the track, so that it is sometimes mis- 

 taken for that of a bear cub. If toe and claw prints show, the forefoot of the 

 bear has five and that of the porcupine only four. Both have five toes on the 

 hind foot. The porcupine in its normal gait toes inwards far more than does 

 the bear. The locality is often a good indication as to the animal. The badger 

 is a mammal of the open prairies; the porcupine is found in or near trees, where 

 barked or girdled limbs show its feeding ground; otter, beaver and mink are 

 usually near water; skunk and weasel are likely to be found around brush piles, 

 old straw stacks and deserted buildings. 



Most of the other mammals leave tracks similar to those of the domestic 

 cat and dog. The fore foot is wider than the hind, which is often longer. The 

 mammal picks footing for its front feet and then steps so that the hind feet fall 

 on, or almost on, the same spots. The cat has retractile claws designed to make 

 no noise as its creeps up on its prey, so that no claw marks show in its tracks. 

 Cougar, lynx and bobcat tracks are similar, except in size. The cats have 

 rounded, fleshy toe pads, each pad, as well as the whole group, making an ah 

 most circular imprint. Another peculiarity of the cat family, especially marked 

 in the house cat, is the way in which its tracks approach a straight line, almost 

 giving one the impression that it has but a single foot. The dog's claws are not 

 retractile, as anyone can testify whose pet canine has the habit of promenading 

 on a linoleum or wood floor, so that there are definite claw marks in its tracks. 

 In its hunting it depends more upon speed than upon stealth, and so is less 

 careful to place the hind foot exactly upon the track of the fore foot. Since 

 its lacks the balance and narrow chest of the cat, its tracks are not so nearly 

 in one line as are those of the cat. Wolf and coyote leave tracks almost identi- 

 cal with those of the dog. The only good way to distinguish them is to follow 

 the trail and notice whether the approach to an object of interest was direct, as 



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