88 ] Animals in the Wild 



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FLAT-FOOTED ANIMALS MAKE THESE TRACKS 



Tracks made by an animal that walks on its toes are quite different from these, all 

 of which show the soles of the feet. At the left is the track of a black bear. In the 

 center are footprints made by a running raccoon. At the right are tracks of a 

 running skunk. Skunk tracks are rare in winter the animal hibernates then. 



Bears, skunks, and raccoons make plantigrade tracks, which 

 means that they are practically flat-footed, and the greater part of 

 the foot shows in the tracks. Deer, sheep, moose, and elk make 

 hoofed tracks. 



Another clue for identification is that tree-climbing animals 

 normally place their front feet side by side when they jump, 

 whereas animals that stay on the ground rarely show the front 

 feet paired in this way. However, the hind feet of both tree- 

 climbing and ground-living animals are generally paired. 



Raccoon tracks are particularly intriguing, for this animal's 

 hind foot is long with a well-marked heel and five comparatively 

 short toes that make an impression remarkably like that of a 

 small human foot. 



