It’s amazing how a covering of snow can reveal usually unseen movements of our wildlife and a walk around the public footpath surrounding the reserve is well worth it during the freezing weather. Mammal tracks are prominent and provide an opportunity to see where our creatures are moving to and from.
Some of the most common tracks you will see are those of rabbits and hares. The tracks of both species are similar, except rabbit tracks are only about two thirds the size of a hare’s. Look for the distinctive pattern of the two larger hind feet at the front next to each other, followed by the smaller front feet, one behind the other. This pattern is made as the animal jumps along.
Stoat and weasel tracks are also very similar, with the exception that weasel tracks are noticeably smaller. These species often move by jumping along rather than walking, so look for groups of footprints where the animal has landed and sometimes in deep snow there may even by a long thin body print. Size wise, stoat tracks are around 2cm long and 1.5cm wide for the forefeet and 3.5cm long and 1.5cm wide for the hindfeet, whereas a weasel’s will be 1.5cm long and 1cm wide.
Other small mammal tracks you may come across include those of mice and voles. Size varies depending species and ID can be difficult but look for four widely splayed toes on the forefoot and 5 toes on the hindfoot, which is a common characteristic of most of these species. Sometimes there may be a tail mark accompanying the footprints.
Larger mammals you may come across include fox, badger and roe deer. Foxes have five toes on the forefoot and four on the hindfoot and are typically around 5cm long and 4cm wide. They can be confused with dog prints, but dog prints are generally more circular and the pads are much larger and closer together. Badgers have five toes on all feet and can make distinct claw marks along with the five pad marks which are characteristically in a row. Normally only the front edge of the forefoot makes the imprint and this is usually around 5cm long and 4cm wide. The hindfoot print is usually around 6cm long and 3.5cm wide. Finally roe deer prints can be easily recognized, this species being cloven hoofed. Look for the two hoof prints of around 4.5cm in length and 3cm in width, pointed at the front and rounded at the back.