Tracks

Beautiful snow this morning in Bloomington. Signatures of the neighborhood animal life.

In the cat tracks above, notice how the back feet land almost directly on top of the front. In animal tracking this is called “direct register,” and is typical of cats and foxes. For more tracking terms check out this link.

Cottontail rabbits leave interesting tracks. They appear to be three legged. In fact their two back feet converge into one mark.

The photo below shows both cat and rabbit tracks. Notice the huge leap between the rabbit’s tracks!

Lastly, it has nothing to do with tracking, but I’d like to point out the Eastern White Pine. What I like about it is the shape of its crown. Tree guides politely call it “irregular.” It might be scraggly, but it sure is recognizable.