Unidentified prints

goosey · #1 (**permalink**) 29-12-2010, 01:57 PM

I spotted 2 and a half large paw prints today, they were embedded in what is now ice under a tree, the point being that other tracks were covered by fresh snow. Luckily I had enough info to be going on with

The paw was 14cm in length and 10cm wide, the length of the front toe was 5cm. And the distance between one print ant the next was 34cm, I couldn't get a distance between the right and left legs.

Any ideas please?

basquesteve · #2 (**permalink**) 30-12-2010, 12:23 PM

Looks to me to be the forepaw of a Fox but its bigger than my hand,

its a big creature

Steve

goosey · #3 (**permalink**) 30-12-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basquesteve

Looks to me to be the forepaw of a Fox but its bigger than my hand,

its a big creature

Steve

Well its funny you should say that because if it wasn't for the shear size I would have thought fox too. often though with fox prints in the snow I can see the two front claw marks aswell but not this time and the front toes seem more splayed than usual. It really was massive, I didn't guess-timate the size and did measure it and wrote it down so it wasn't even a case of mis-remembering.
It can't be a yetti in Holland, it would have had clogs on

.

basquesteve · #4 (**permalink**) 30-12-2010, 01:05 PM

It wasnt a fishermans ruler then

paul m · #5 (**permalink**) 30-12-2010, 04:19 PM

My first thought was badger (Meles meles) but it would be a heck of a big one!

Dave Cattle · #6 (**permalink**) 31-12-2010, 05:22 AM

It may be a fox or some breed of dog. Its not a badger, toe pattern is not square enough. I would guess the print was made very early in the day or even during the night. It's so large because it's been exposed to the sun for a long while, as the snow warms the apparent size of the print expands. If you were able to follow the track to a spot where the sun couldnt reach it you'd find the prints to be more normal sized.

There was once an article in the local paper reporting how a chap walking his dog on new years day came across the tracks of a "Big Cat" leading from a farm yard and down the lane. The farm in question has a long established badger sett and I know they range along the hedgerow bordering the lane. The tracks were badger shaped but at least twice the size,it had snowed the night before followed by a clear sunny day.

Dave

goosey · #7 (**permalink**) 31-12-2010, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Cattle

It may be a fox or some breed of dog. Its not a badger, toe pattern is not square enough. I would guess the print was made very early in the day or even during the night. It's so large because it's been exposed to the sun for a long while, as the snow warms the apparent size of the print expands. If you were able to follow the track to a spot where the sun couldnt reach it you'd find the prints to be more normal sized.

Thanks Dave, that makes alot of sense and more logical than a giant something or other wandering around the NP

. I doubt very much it is dog as (although I am sure it must happen) dogs are not allowed in the NP, so I suspect it was a fox which made them.