mjw Eanm? 
Fresh snow is a photographic plate which records 
all that passes over its soft surface. "Hmminm. 
those tracks are ermine tracks but they look rather 
heavy and short-stepped, and what are those extra 
marks?’ 1 At each pair of footprints there was a thin 
line on one side and a wider gouge on the other. 
Don and I followed them back for a few hundred yards 
to where they met up with those of a short-tailed 
shrew - who had met his demise. The extra marks at 
the ermine tracks were the tail and snout of the 
shrew dragging as he was carried crossways in the 
ermine’s mouth. Tracks show not only which animal 
crossed the stream but something of its mood and 
character. One can learn much of animal behaviour 
from just following tracks. 
With such an increase in trail-skiing and 
snowshoeing this year, many animal tracks are being 
crossed. Half of the enjoyment of such outdoor in¬ 
terests can be in learning about the many animals in 
the Ottawa area which share your paths. Just within 
the city limits I found tracks of 19 different mammals 
two winters ago. (See pages 31, 32.) You certainly 
don’t need to go to wild northern areas to see a good 
selection of tracks. I have tried to show all possible 
tracks for the Ottawa area, omitting those of animals 
which migrate or hibernate during the winter. And 
don’t be put off by all the measurements - it’s really 
quite easy, after you’ve measured a few. 
35 
