86 ] Animals in the Wild 



of a carnivorous mammal in action. Not only are his incisors sharp 

 and the canine teeth long and strong; the molars are especially 

 designed for cutting. 



All members of the cat family are meat eaters. Jaguars and 

 pumas, the largest cat animals on the American continent, are a 

 menace to game and livestock in some areas. You can study their 

 hunting tactics at close range when you watch a house cat stalking 

 a bird. The cat does not run down its prey as a dog would; 

 instead it creeps along stealthily until it is within striking distance, 

 when it takes a final vicious leap. The hunting technique of the 

 big wild cats is exactly the same. 



The weasel offers solid proof that you cannot judge an animal's 

 eating habits or its disposition by its size. Though small and 

 slender, the weasel is one of the most aggressive and ferocious 

 of flesh-eating animals. Completely fearless, it sometimes kills 

 animals several times larger than itself and may satisfy its appetite 

 merely by lapping up their blood. 



Hunting for Animal Tracks 



When your child becomes interested in the activities of wild 

 mammals, you can join him in a fascinating hobby: hunting for 

 footprints and identifying them. In bygone days the Indians were 

 expert trackers but for them it was not a hobby. The game they 

 secured by their expert knowledge of tracking often meant the 

 difference between starving and having enough food. 



Today a knowledge of animal tracks is no longer necessary for 

 survival, but it can help satisfy the child's desire to play nature 

 detective. What child is not thrilled at reviving this once- 

 important Indian activity especially if he realizes the early signifi- 

 cance of tracking! 



How TO IDENTIFY TRACKS 



You may start track-hunting by going to likely places such 

 as muddy stream banks and finding tracks there, identifying them 

 later or you may first obtain a background for field study from 

 books and observations near home. In your own back yard you 

 may find the tracks of dogs, cats, and squirrels. 



